RRR*: The Sea Roc (a.k.a. Captain Pye & Co.) — Part 6
Continued from Part 5.
*Round Robin ‘Riting
Date: July 26, 2009
Categories: RRRs, RPWs, and RPGs
Thursday, 25 April 2024
Life, the universe, pies, hot-pink bunnies, world domination, and everything
Continued from Part 5.
*Round Robin ‘Riting
Date: July 26, 2009
Categories: RRRs, RPWs, and RPGs
Yay! Thank you, GAPAs!
-confetti-
What is this? Is it too late to join, or is it a new story with the same characters?
I’m almost ashamed to continue… but here goes. We’re changing Alexis to Elexis, right?
Oh! I have to say this before I forget. You know the death thing, how they can only be killed by steel or their own magic or whatever. What if, to simplify it, we say that people with elemental powers can’t be killed by other people’s elemental powers. So, a weatherweaver could drown, or be shot or stabbed or burn to death or die of the Black Plague or have a heart attack or whatever, but they can not be killed by magical means. Therefore, Tzil could have died if Tam had stabbed him or strangled him or hit him over the head, and Tam could have died by Tzil’s knife (only he didn’t). If Tam had lit fire to the fort, everyone there would have died, regardless of elemental powers, but Tam summoning magical fire to destroy Tzil wouldn’t work. That’s easier to remember, right? Those with elemental powers are no more susceptible than anyone else to water/wind/earth/fire in the element’s natural state, however they can cause their death though misuse of their powers.
Or better yet, we could take out all the conditions and exceptions and simply say that Tzil should have died, but he didn’t because Tam was injured and therefore too weak, and that fire is dangerous because it’s a dangerous element, not because Ren is extra-super-sensitive.
I like that best.
~~~~
Captain Pye shook his head, but Ren thought he saw the corner of the Krakeneater’s mouth twitch as he stood and stalked away. Elexis stayed only long enough to give Ren a feline wink and then sauntered off after the Captain.
~~~~
OK, you do know that Tam is aware of his powers, right? The Sea Roc people don’t know that he’s aware of them, because he hates them as the thing that brings the Unknowables chasing after him, so he hides them away with his past and doesn’t mention them to anyone. But he knows about them.
2- It is by no means too late to join.
That it is to say, we finished what? a year ago? and now we’re editing and rewriting (have been for the last two threads), and we would LOVE your help. You would have to read the story, which is pretty long, but it’s not the worst story so you might gain some pleasure from reading it.
Even if you don’t want to commit yourself to helping rewrite, will you at least read the story with your fresh eyes and maybe tell us what we can do to make it better/less confusing? Because I have been intimately involved since its conception, and kiwimuncher has been one of two writers for three or four threads and therefore knows the story as well as I do, I should think, and it’s hard for us to tell sometimes where our plot holes are.
2) I agree! By all means, read it. Speaking of which… shouldn’t we post it here? *dreads having to piece it together*
3) I like the second idea too. I mean, fire would hurt anyone anyway, so making it extra worse for Ren is sort of going to the extreme.
5- I have it in a document, don’t worry.
Oh really? OK. *sigh of relief* Could you post it for peoples to read? Peas?
7- I’ll make an effort to update+post it tomorrow, but I can promise nothing, since I so far haven’t even been able to leave my sewing long enough to eat a proper meal, or anything more substantial than a piece of smoked salmon and some lettuce. I can’t post it now because I’m not a my house.
If I don’t get it posted tomorrow, you can expect it when I get back from sailing next week.
Okey day!
Thanks, Alice! Now I’ll finally have my OWN updated copy!
Cheesy goodness!
Well, anywho, where were we last time? *goes back to look at old thread*
Ah! Yes! We had just finished musing over the fire scrying business.
Well, poopers. Where are the people?
What people?
Well, personally I was waiting for Alice to put the entire revised version up here… sorry to put the blame on you, Alice, for me not being here, but I’m telling the truth!
It’s true. I take full responsibility.
…And now I’m going to go watch Doctor Who.
Thanks. Have fun with that. (Sorry, I just had to be sarcastic. Don’t be upset, it’s 9:30 in the morning, which is somewhat early for me.)
16- Whatever. I’m not hurt.
See, the thing is, I spent forever updating the document and then Word crashed and all my updates were lost. So I have to go repeat everything and I’m not thrilled. Especially since every fiber of my being is screaming against the nautical inaccuracies. I don’t even know how to fix them all, I just know that they’re WRONG.
But I’ll do it anyway.
Ewwy. That stinks. *gives cheese*
I had an interesting idea. Obviously it’s not top priority right now, but should we put in a chapter, before we ever meet Ren, of Tam’s story? How he stows away on a merchant ship which is captured by the pirates, and how he chooses to work rather than be killed or marooned. It might be too similar to Ren’s plan, or maybe we could mention how common stowaways are and how difficult it is to escape notice. Also, I think it would be cool to show Tam as a cringing, miserable boy, and then when he’s next sighted he’s gained confidence and is no longer tormented by the Unknowables (is he? I don’t think so). I’m asking for a very different sort of Tam, one that is proud and aloof though slightly skittish, and avoided by most of the crew, but not mad or hunted. He speaks to people like an ordinary human being, but he doesn’t have any friends. He has learned to shut out the voices of the Unknowables, and the only time when his past shows through is at night, when he has horrible nightmares. And we could provide a far more interesting degeneration, you know, if he’s almost normal, and then guilt and betrayal spend him spiraling back down into perpetual misery and his barriers against the Unknowables are eaten away. He’s still not insane, just unhappy and pestered. There is still the possibility of his making a recovery, but then he dies at the end of the series.
What do you think?
Yeah, I think it would be too similar to Ren’s capture to do a chapter on it, but we should definitely include stuff about his capture.
I like what you’ve said about changing his character! Having him more normal and then degenerating over time is good. Although, I’m sort of guilty of liking his insane moments.
I think we could make it different. Easily. But OK.
-sob-
I’ve tried three times, it won’t post.
OK, I’m going to try once more:
Prologue
The Inner Sea had formed hundreds of years before, when the lowland flats in the
center of Sphaere had been deluged constantly as the Age of Ice ended and the great glaciers melted. Now, the only land surface of Sphaere is the mountains around its shores.
The Sanguiz Empire soon took advantage of the confusion caused by the Deluge to expand its territory from the handful of states it once commanded. As our story opens, all of Sphaere is under its iron grip.
That is, almost all.
Hardy bands of seafarers, disgusted with the decadence and corruption that infects Sphaere, have taken to the Inner Sea and the scattering of lawless isles in its center. They raid the prosperous, Empire-sanctioned merchant ships that cross the Sea and bamboozle the incompetent navy.
One ship in particular is notable among these: The Sea Roc.
Chapter One
Ren Splayr dashed down the narrow alley, the loose soles of his sandals flapping on its damp bricks. The whistles of the soldiers weren’t far behind. Ren hoped he could get to the seafront before they caught him and he went the same way as his uncle. Perlan Ethor, Ren’s only remaining family, had taken him in when his mother died and his father disappeared. Now Perlan was gone too, shot by the captain of the guard for writing an article about corruption in the Sanguiz Empire. Funny how a few strokes of ink in the Hermetopolis Gazette could translate into a puff of alchemical smoke, a flying musket ball, and death. Ren was wanted too, simply for knowing Perlan and “possible aiding and abetting propaganda against our glorious Emperor Sanguinus IX.”
Ren’s only hope was to stow away aboard a merchant ship bound for the opposite side of Sphaere, all the way across the Inner Sea.
“Where are you running to, boy?” said a gruff voice, and Ren looked up into the eyes of a man. Probably a sailor of high rank, to judge by his clothes. Maybe even a captain. He wore a very large and ridiculous three-cornered hat. In spite of his present state, Ren wanted to laugh, but there was no time. He dodged the man, and sped off down the alley again.
Octavio Pye watched the boy go. Limber, agile, small for his age of maybe fourteen… he would make a good powder monkey. Why was he in such a hurry?
A bunch of officious-looking people in the uniforms of Imperial soldiers rushed down the alley after the boy. Octavio was experienced at looking as though he had no idea what was going on. The guards didn’t question him.
So the boy is in trouble with the Sanguiz Empire, Octavio mused. I don’t think he will refuse a job aboard the Sea Roc.
He turned and took one of the many shortcuts he knew to the harbor.
Ren ran on, his heart pounding in his chest, his breath coming ragged. He reached the harbor, and looked wildly from side to side for a place to hide. The soldiers were gaining, and there was nowhere to go.
Nowhere except the stinking black water of the harbor.
One of the soldiers, a lean, athletic one, pulled ahead, raising his musket to his shoulder. Ren leaped into the sea, hearing the bullet whiz over his head.
With a loud sploosh, the water closed over him. He fought to get to the surface, flailing wildly. When he reached it, though, he almost wished he hadn’t. Three soldiers were pointing guns at him, and looked like they intended to use them.
There were three loud cracks, and Ren cringed, expecting to feel the bullets smashing into his chest. But he didn’t. He looked up to see the soldiers clutching their injured hands, their unfired muskets on the ground beside them.
What happened? thought Ren. The soldiers were pushed out of the way as a man with a long beard and a green robe pulled him out of the water with a grip as strong as a lion’s. The man, judging by his appearance was an alchemist, maybe a doctor. “Come on! We must hurry! These soldiers will recover and call for reinforcements very soon.” Ren had no choice but to follow the alchemist through the crowds of people, hoping that wherever he was going, it was somewhere safe.
The alchemist stopped in front of a small three-masted ship moored at an out-of-the-way corner of the dock.
“Vushtek!” came a cry from on board. “You found him!”
“Yes, and I’m being pursued. Let me up, quick!”
A head poked over the rail. It was the man from the alley. “If they catch up to you, they’ll be sorry they messed with the crew of Octavio Pye. Tzil? Niria? I need a wind.”
Ren dimly noticed a man in blue and white clothing raising a hand, and a strong breeze blowing across the waterfront. A weatherweaver, he thought, but he wasn’t surprised. His head was reeling from hearing the name of Octavio Pye. Octavio Pye! The dreaded Captain Krakeneater of the pirate ship Sea Roc!!!
There was a ladder built into the side of the ship, and a dazed Ren was passed up this and onto the deck. The alchemist–Vushtek–scrambled up behind him.
Octavio Pye cast only a glance over Ren, but the look in his eyes as he did so, was, if not quite sympathetic, not unkind either. “Arn!†he called, and a burly young man about Ren’s age looked up from his task.
“Yes, sir?â€
“This is a new powder monkey. Show him to his quarters, and explain his duties.â€
“Aye aye, Captain.†Arn gave Ren a friendly nod. “Follow me,†he said.
By this time Ren had regained his wits, and followed Arn through a hatch and down a ladder.
“Quarters are pretty cramped already, and we’ve only got three powder monkeys, not including you,†said Arn. “I dunno how we’ll fit another, but I guess you’re pretty small, and we could always kick Tam out.â€
Ren found himself nodding in agreement, and then realized what Arn had said. “Who’s Tam? And why kick him out?â€
Arn made a face. “You’ll find out soon enough. Now, your duties…â€
Arn had just finished explaining Ren’s duties, which were more numerous than the latter had ever imagined, when a bell rang. Arn jumped up.
“Dinner,†he said. “Follow me.â€
They collected their food and sat down at a rough wooden table, which Ren noted was nailed to the floor. Two boys were already sitting there, one, a small dark-haired child who could not have been over eleven, if that, and the other a tall, awkward, fair-haired youth with a miserable expression.
“Ren, this is Sev–†indicating the younger boy “–and this is Tam. Sev, Tam, this is Ren, the new powder monkey.â€
Sev looked up at Ren and grinned. “Nice to meet you,†he said.
“Likewise,†replied Ren politely.
Tam muttered something that may have been a greeting. Sev and Arn exchanged glances. Sev said something that sounded rather like “candles.†Arn seemed to understand, but Ren did not understand in the slightest.
“Candles?†he said with great confusion. Arn and Sev both nodded vigorously.
“Going out,†said Arn. “Never mind.â€
“Have you met Marmalade yet?†asked Sev, skillfully changing the subject.
“No,†said Ren. “Who’s Marmalade?â€
“She’s the Captain’s Pukis,†Sev said.
Ren’s eyes widened. “A Pukis? Really?†Pukises were extremely rare, shapeshifting dragon-cats from the Free Isle of Lithuslov. Their fur was extremely rare and valuable, and though Ren had never seen one, it was rumored that the emperor had a score of them in golden cages.
“Really,†said Arn.
“She sinks ships,†added Sev. “Very useful in battle, you know.â€
This brought Ren back with a jolt. He was on a pirate ship. Pirates killed people, stole…they were worse than the Empire, and, as a boy who had grown up with Perlan Ethor, Ren had no very high regard for the Empire. He groaned, wishing he was back in Hermetopolis. Not that Hermetopolis was safe anymore, after they killed Perlan… He was suddenly awash in misery.
“What’s the matter?†asked Sev. “Homesick?â€
Ren shook his head stubbornly and stood up. “Wait just a moment! You people can’t just bring me onto your ship and force me into working on it! I refuse!â€
Sev’s eyes grew large. He stood up, trying to quiet Ren. “Now, now,†he said. “Don’t be so hasty…â€
“HASTY!†Ren shrieked. “I have my own home you know! My own life! You expect me to just drop that and join a group of murdering, thieving…â€
“Funny,†Arn interrupted.†I thought you were on the run from the empire.â€
All thought of argument drained out of Ren and he returned heavily to his seat, the weight of his situation crashing down on him. Arn was right. Ren couldn’t return to his previous life. The death of his uncle had changed everything. He had no other place to go.
“Don’t worry!†Sev encouraged, obviously relieved that Ren had stopped shouting. “You’ll get used to it! It’s actually a rather good life!â€
Sev babbled on and on. Ren eventually learned to drown the younger boy’s voice out to the point that it was simply background noise, like that of a fly buzzing in his ear. He glanced curiously at the boy Arn had called Tam. Tam was clearly antisocial. He had barely said anything the whole time that Ren had been there. Currently, he was staring at a nearby candle, as if there was something fascinating in the depths of its flame.
Looking at the boy, Ren could see why the others were not friendly with Tam. He never joined into their conversation and he held himself in an odd manner, as if he had a much higher status then that of a powder monkey.
Determined, Ren leaned toward the boy. “Hello. My name is Ren,†he said hesitantly.
“Yeah. I know,†Tam replied, never taking his eyes off of the candle’s flame. Ren’s eyes followed his.
“What? It’s just a candle.â€
Tam shrugged. “I like candles,†he said softly. The light flickered on his pale countenance.
Ren turned back to Sev and Arn, who looked at him gravely. “Is he all right?†Ren asked in a whisper.
“He’s not simple, if that’s what you mean,†Arn whispered back. “But he’s had an awfully hard life.â€
‘How so?†Ren was intrigued.
“Won’t tell. He talks in his sleep, a bit, but we haven’t really heard anything beyond some mumblings about wanting to be left alone.â€
Sev nodded in agreement to Arn’s words. “Yeah,†he said. “I tell you, Tam’s got a screw loose.â€
Looking at Tam, still intent on staring at the candle’s flame, Ren could only agree. However, there was something about Tam, Ren didn’t know what, that made Ren like the boy. But Sev and Arn had moved on to other topics and Ren let himself be drawn back into the conversation until the meal had ended.
Chapter Two
A silent moon shimmered on the horizon. Ren strained his ears, listening for any sound other then the creaking hull of the Sea Roc and the lapping of the waves against her sides. He dared not even to breathe as he glanced around at his companions. To his left was Arn, a serious frown upon his face, and to his right was Seth, who, for once, had given his voice a rest. Ren glanced over his shoulder at Tam, who, of all the boys, appeared the most relaxed. For some reason that Ren could not decipher, Tam had always been most at home in the storeroom, amongst the flameable weapons. In answer to Ren’s gaze, Tam produced a calm smile, which Ren reflected rather timidly.
After all of the times that Ren had participated in these escapades, he had never fully gotten used to them. The suspense tried on his nerves, leaving him constantly on edge.
Suddenly, the air whistled around them. All four boys jumped up in anticipation as the first contact was made. Screams rent the air as the Sea Roc shuddered violently and reeled as if it had been struck. Not even pausing for an instant Ren picked up several cannon-balls and ran out of the storage room. Around him, the deck of the Sea Roc was plagued with the chaos of battle. Ren blotted out the roar of the scene before him and focused solely on his mission, to get to the cannons. Time slowed as he ran across the deck. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he neared the cannon line. Wordlessly, he handed the cartridges to the nearest men and raced back to the store rooms.
As Ren reached the storage room door, the Sea Roc lurched wildly. With a cry, Ren lost his footing and slammed into the oncoming wall. Smoke clogged his vision and Ren looked up, wincing, to see flames devouring the elegant hull of an emperial trading ship.
“Need some help?†offered a voice beside him.
Ren glanced toward the voice and smiled when he saw Tam, who was extending his hand to him. Ren smiled gratefully and took Tam’s hand. In that instant, Tam disappeared into the smokey haze, but not before Ren saw the manic flickering of the fire in his eyes. Without another thought, Ren followed after him.
The need for gunpowder was limitless. Ren quickly developed a film of sweat over his skin from his endless marathon. However, his endeavers were paying off. Slowly, yet surely, the merchant ship was falling into their hands.
Ren could see the cannon line in the distance. With an extra burst of speed, Ren sped across the ship, a heap of gun powder held securely in his hands. It was only out of the corner of his eye that he glimpsed a stray spark creep toward him. He barely had a second to react before the spark reached his precious cargo.
Ren screamed as his powder ignited. A shockwave resonated off of the mass, sending Ren flying for several yards. For a moment, Ren lay on his back on the ships rolling floor. I should be dead. he thought. He cracked his eyes open nervously and immediately gasped. His hands contained a bright, flaming bundle. Ren’s mind reeled. My hands are on fire. But I feel nothing. I should be DEAD! All thoughts fled from his mind and Ren fell into a dead faint.
He came to, minutes or perhaps hours later, laying on the gun deck in a pool of blood. He jumped to his feet, horrified, and ran his hands over his body before he realized that the blood was not his own. Around him, sailors were dragging the dead and wounded away. The battle was over. And here was Arn, hurrying over with Sev in his wake, and there was Tam, standing aloof as usual, staring vacantly into the air. Ren knew that if he had been closer he could have seen the flames dancing in Tam’s eyes, even when there was no fire to be reflected.
“Ren, Ren!†shrilled Sev. “What happened?â€
Arn’s expression was graver, his face pale underneath the soot . “Tam says your charge exploded,†he said.
“It did,†said Ren. ‘Or…I thought it did.â€
“It’s amazing you’re still alive!†Sev exclaimed in awe.
Ren nodded slowly, his memory returning to him in confuddled flashes. Could his mind possibly be playing tricks on him?
Arn gasped, snapping Ren out of his abstraction. “Your hands!†Arn cried in alarm. Ren glanced absentmindedly at his palms and exhaled in shock. Through the thick layer of soot that covered his hands, bloody gashes could be seen on his skin.
“We have to get you to the infirmary immediately!†Arn declared. “If it gets infected…..â€
Ren nodded agreeably and allowed himself to be led away by his friend. Glancing over his shoulder, he met the gaze of Tam, who was watching him with an unnerving gaze. Something told Ren that he had a lot of explaining to do once he escaped from the ship’s doctor.
Hours later, Ren emerged from the cockpit, very much shaken, with bandages wrapped around his palms.
He felt a pang of emptiness and vaguely recalled that he had not eaten since before the raid. Suddenly ravenous, Ren jogged toward the ship’s kitchen. He was stopped, however, by the ringing of the bell for the next watch. Ren turned reluctantly. His stomache would just have to wait.
Ren ran down to the main deck and joined the rest of his watch as they went about their various duties. He spotted Tam grab some sponges to scrub the decks and Ren bent to join him. He knew that Tam would want to know of everything that had transpired during the battle.
“Ren! Come help over here!†came a friendly voice. Arn and several other crew members were patching a sail. Arn motioned for Ren to come over. Ren met eyes with Tam, promising in one look that he would explain later.
The older boy smiled warmly as Ren approached and handed him a needle.
“I’m really glad that you weren’t too badly hurt during the battle, Ren.†Arn said absently, re-threading his own needle. “Sev makes me nervous sometimes when we’re up here. He’s just so young. And Tam just creeps me out.â€
Ren nodded, piecing together the canvas with clumsy stitches. “So, how was the rest of the battle?†he asked. “I mean, after…y’know.â€
“It was great,†said Arn. “And there’s heaps of money–not that we’ll get much of it, but it’s some, at least.â€
Ren nodded. They sat in companionable silence for a while.
“Did your charge really explode?†Arn burst out suddenly.
“Yes,†said Ren. “At least, I think so.â€
Arn nodded and looked away, out to the horizon. “Tam’s charge exploded once,†he said. “Back when he was pretty new, like you. He wasn’t injured either.â€
“I’m injured,†said Ren, not sure what else to say. He was thinking of that mad fire flickering in Tam’s eyes, and the look of pure joy on Tam’s face. He shuddered.
Arn didn’t seem to notice. “You’re not injured much,†he said. “Not half as bad as most people are when a pound of gunpowder blows up in their hands. I’ve seen three powder monkeys die when their charge exploded, and one more who got burned so bad he was blind when his wounds healed. You and Tam are the only two people I’ve ever seen come through that unscathed.â€
Ren said nothing, and the rest of the watch passed in silence.
Chapter Three
“Ren…†muttered Arn as they tiptoed along the dark deck. Starlight danced on the surface of the ocean. “This is a bad idea.â€
“I have to know,†said Ren firmly. “You have the candle?â€
Arn removed his hand from where it was cupped around the flame, and the light sprang up, revealing the boys’ expressions: Arn, grim, Ren, solemn and vaguely frightened.
Ren screwed his eyes shut and extended his hand. “Do it,†he said bravely.
Arn looked from Ren to the candle, and back again. “Ren,†he said. “It was probably just a fluke. I’m not going to set you on fire. I can’t.†He turned to go.
Ren reached out and snatched the candle. It guttered in the draft created by the sudden movement, and then flared up, brighter than ever, as Tam appeared, horror in his pale face.
“Don’t!†he cried hoarsely, and lunged at the candle, clapping his hands over the flame, extinguishing it. He howled in agony, cries quite disproportionate to the injuries inflicted by a tiny candle-flame, and Ren himself felt a tremor of pain and intense fear as Tam collapsed, sobbing, on the deck.
There were shouts from the watch, who had been alerted by Tam’s cries, and then Octavio Pye was there, towering over the sailors, demanding to know what had happened. Ren and Arn exchanged glances. “Well,†Ren started.
“We were going for a walk,†put in Arn.
“I couldn’t sleep,†said Ren, “and I went for a walk and found Arn. so we were walking around and Tam came up and he surprised us, so…†there he ran out of inspiration and foundered. Arn came to his aid.
“And he surprised us, so I dropped my candle, only he caught it before it started a fire, and it burned him.â€
Ren nodded vigorously in confirmation. Captain Pye’s eyes narrowed. “Take Eizid to his berth,†he ordered Arn. “You,†he said to Ren, “come with me. And you lot†(this directed at the sailors on watch) “get back to your duties.â€
Ren followed the captain reluctantly. Since his first day of capture, months ago, he had never once been directly spoken to by the captain, and he liked it that way. Pirates were just like anyone else, if a bit rougher and coarser and more prone to bloodshed than the majority of Hermitopolans, but Octavio Pye was different. Before Ren had full taken in his situation, he was standing in the cabin of Captain Pye, the Krakeneater. Appropriately enough, there was a half-eaten plate of kraken calamari sitting on the table. the Captain took a seat, but he did not offer one to Ren, and the boy was too frightened to ask for one himself, so he remained standing.
“Ren Splayr,†said Captain Pye. “Tell me the entire story, from the beginning. That’s an order,†he added, when Ren tried to protest.
“Yes, sir,†said Ren timidly. “During the last battle, my charge exploded.â€
Octavio raised his eyes. “Did it now,†he said, with interest. “Continue.â€
“It exploded. But I wasn’t hurt–not much at least. And Arn said how everyone died when their charge exploded, except me and Tam. And then I remembered one time when I was little and I stuck my hand in the fire, and didn’t hurt, and then Perlan got all serious and I heard him talking to my aunt about it, and I can’t remember what they said, but anyway–†he paused for breath, aware that he was babbling, and nearly apologized, but the Captain was looking interested and serious, so he went on. “Anyway, I thought maybe it had something to do with fire, so I wanted to stick my hand in a fire again, and see what happened.†Here the Captain drew a sharp breath, and Ren stopped again. “Sir?â€
“You are far too bright for your own good, boy. But go on.â€
“But Arn wouldn’t light my bandages, so I was going to do it, only Tam came up and snuffed the candle. It seemed to hurt him a lot more than it ought,†he added, puzzled.
The Captain had pushed away his calamari, and was pulling maps out and unrolling them. “You said your uncle knows?†he asked.
“Knows what, sir?â€
The Captain sighed, and let the map roll back up on itself. “Ren Splayr, there are two people in the world who are like you, and you are one of them. You know of stormmasters and alchemists, of course, who can control the elements.â€
“Of course, sir. But I’m not one. Not a very powerful one, anyway.â€
“No. You are infinitely more rare. Your talent is not that of water or wind or earth–yours is fire.â€
This did not have the impact that Octavio had expected. Ren continued to stand there, looking confused. “But sir,†he said, “there isn’t a fire talent.â€
“There is,†said the Captain. “As I said, there are only two people in all of Sphaere who have that power. The Empire knows of only one, and they have heard rumors of a second, which is you, but they certainly don’t spread the knowledge. I too had heard rumors of a second fire powerful, but I didn’t expect it to be you, a stray and an orphan in the streets of Hermetopolis!â€
Ren was too confused to mind being called a stray. “You said there were two. Who’s the other one?â€
The Captain shook his head. “That is for me to know. Leave now. And don’t tell anyone what I have told you, understand? No one.â€
Ren nodded and fled the premises.
Octavio sighed, staring at the place where the boy had been. Two years ago, he might of thought of this as an extraordinary piece of good luck. Both fire powerfuls here, under his very nose! But he had had too much trouble with the Empire, and the boy Tam exasperated him. Still, it was better he had the boys, troublesome though they may be, than the Empire have either one of them. They would give him a remarkable advantage, provided the Empire didn’t know of them. If the Splayr boy’s uncle had suspected his nephew’s power, if he had told the Empire… but the lad had been running, he had nearly been killed. The Empire couldn’t know; they wouldn’t risk wounding such a valuable asset. Octavio took another deep breath and rolled up the map. They would go to Lithuslov as planned, and the Empire would never follow them there. All was well.
Chapter Four
The days passed with monotonous regularity. Ren avoided Arn, and Tam avoided Ren. Arn watched both Tam and Ren with a dubious aloofness, and Sev remained perfectly oblivious that anything had occurred at all.
It was some days after Ren’s attempted experiment and the subsequent talk with the Captain, that Ren awoke feeling something was wrong. The storm blew out of the south with unbelievable fury and suddenness. Massive towers of cloud piled up in the sky, crowned by lightning.
“Tzil! Niria! I need you on deck!†bellowed the Captain. “We have to quell the storm!â€
Tzil Azuro, the ship’s weatherweaver, rushed up, followed by a young woman of about twenty years. “We’ll do our best, Captain,†said the woman, “but there’s something wrong about these waves…â€
Tzil licked his finger and raised it up. Small strands of lightning seemed to crackle across the tip. “Niria’s right,†he said urgently. “This is a made storm.â€
“Can you quell it?†the captain asked.
“Well… together, Niria and I are a match for any lone stormmaster on the Inner Sea, but this one must have been sent by a confederation of twenty, possibly more. We need to find a safe harbor, and fast.â€
The captain considered for a moment, and then began barking orders. “All sails up, crew! Niria, make sure the waves don’t swamp us. Tzil, keep the wind to a moderate level so the canvas doesn’t burst. We’re going to ride this storm out until we can reach the isle of Lithuslov. We’re not far now.â€
Ren stood still as confusion immediately fell upon the ship, and the crew ran every-which-way, not sure what they were supposed to be doing. He wondered where Lithuslov was. He vaguely remembered learning about the Free Isles in school, but that had been three years ago, and the teacher had hurried over the subject. They were “uninhabited,†that is, inhabited by rebels and pirates–the very sort of people Ren now spent every moment of his life.
Lightning cracked, and Ren started as an idea struck him. He ran up to the captain. “Sir, could I help the stormmasters? You said I had talent, and lightning–â€
Octavio Pye cut him off. “Ask them.â€
Ren trotted up to Tzil and Niria, standing with closed eyes in the middle of the hustle and bustle. “Could I help?†he asked, reluctant to disturb them.
Niria opened her eyes. “What?â€
“I said, could I help?†repeated Ren. “The Captain says I’ve got power–not this kind of power, fire power but lightning’s sort of fire isn’t it?†he finished hurriedly.
Tzil and Niria exchanged glances, half amused, half frustrated. “So this is the Captain’s new prodigy,†said Niria. “I knew something was up.â€
“We haven’t got time for this,†said Tzil, then turning to Ren: “Look, you’re untrained and I don’t know your powers anyway, so maybe you can deal with lightning, maybe you can’t. I appreciate the offer, but we don’t have time right now.†He closed his eyes and went back to muttering spells.
“Sorry,†added Niria, before following suit.
“I understand,†muttered Ren, and picked his way across the tossing, sloping deck.
A colossal wave, driven by the mad wind, mounted ahead. The Sea Roc was lifted up by the wave and flung through the air like a toy. Tzil and Niria rose into the air, wreathed in glittering chains of electricity. Ren managed to grab hold of a bulwark and prevent himself from being swept away. Tam Eizid was not so lucky. The older boy was smashed off the deck by a freezing, gray plume of water. Several seabirds rode its crest, screaming triumphantly.
“Stormy petrels,†Captain Pye muttered. Then he shouted, “Throw Tam a line!†Another wave broke over the deck, making him cough and splutter. He knew the chances of saving Tam were virtually nil, but he had to try.
“It’s no good, Captain,†Tzil said. His voice rang like a bell through the clamor of the storm, even though he didn’t raise his voice. “I recognized those petrels. One of them had a scar above its eye.â€
“How does a petrel get a scar like that??â€
“I put it there. Those aren’t petrels, they’re wave spirits, and they’re in the service of Rake Vashkar, weatherweaver of the Blood Storm.â€
Soon the storm began to clear, leaving with the petrels. Captain Pye went down below, and the crew hurried around, trying to clean up the mess left by the storm. Ren stood on the deck, shocked and sad. He had never even got a chance to meet Tam properly, and now he was dead- or captured by the Sanguiz Empire.
Tzil and Niria were asleep down below, tired out by their efforts to quell the storm. Captain Pye was doing who knows what in his cabin. Ren was alone.
Tam kept his head above water for as long as he could, and eventually the storm quieted. He floated on his back, watching petrels that shouldn’t be there flying above him. Every now and then one would seem to lose shape for a moment, only to resume the form of a petrel a little later. Tam’s head swam, and he realized his limbs were all numb. He wouldn’t survive much longer in this cold.
Then a ship loomed above him. Tam gave a weak yell and attempted to swim out of the way. His frozen legs would hardly obey him. Someone on the ship shouted something, and then down came a rope, whistling through the air from the very high deck of the ship. Tam grabbed it, and was hauled up onto the ship.
“What is it?†asked a voice, accompanied by hurried footsteps.
“Found a boy in the water, sir. ‘E’s half dead.â€
“A boy? Really?†The voice seemed much too interested, and not in a good way. “Where do you imagine he came from?â€
“I don’t know, sir. But he looks like pirate-kind to me.â€
“A pirate! Ah! Bring him to my cabin!â€
“Yes, Mr. Vashkar, sir,†said the seaman, and then Tam lost his senses, and heard no more.
Chapter Five
Ren leaned over the edge of the ship, watching the waves from the storm get smaller and smaller, only creating small splashes now, and thinking of Tam’s inevitable death. He’d never liked Tam much, but he felt curiously alone now that he was gone. Suddenly there was a shout, and he turned around , almost tangling himself in a net crumpled up by his feet. Someone was standing on the quarterdeck, shouting.
“What in the name of -†Captain Pye stormed out of his cabin, but was stopped mid-step when he saw what was going on.
The ship’s Pukis, Marmalade, stood on the deck in dragon form, hissing furiously and spitting fire. Across from it lay a motionless stormy petrel.
Tzil, who seemed to have materialized from nowhere, strode over to the creature. He kicked Marmalade to the side, cursing under his breath. Marmalade spat a small ball of fire at him, then turned back into a kitten and ran over to Octavio Pye, who stroked her absentmindedly. “Tzil!!†he cried. “Is that…?â€
Tzil examined the bird, noting the red feather on its right wing and the scar over its left eye. “Yes, sir,†he replied. “It’s a wave spirit, all right.â€
Octavio nodded. “Bring it to my cabin. Where’s Niria?â€
“Here, sir,†announced the girl, seeming, like Tzil, to appear from nowhere.
“Good,†said the captain. He dislodged Marmalade from his shoulder and led the way into his cabin, followed by Niria. Tzil brought up the rear with the petrel-spirit.
Inside the cabin, Pye swept a pile of papers off his desk and motioned that Tzil should deposit the spirit there, which he proceeded to do, none too gently.
“Letor,†whispered Tzil, bending towards the spirit and prodding it with one long finger. “Letor! Wake up, I command you!â€
The petrel-spirit stirred, feebly waved one wing, and opened its eyes. Seeing Tzil, it suddenly made a frantic motion to get away. Papers fluttered to the floor.
“Where are they?†Tzil demanded, seizing Letor around the feathery body and shaking. Letor made a cry of pain.
Tzil shook him again. “Where are they taking the boy?â€
Letor attempted to twist his petrel features into a puzzled look and failed.
“I know they have him,†spat Tzil. “That’s why Vashkar sent the storm. He’s tried it before. Now where are they taking him?â€
Letor spoke for the first time. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.â€
“We’ve done battle before, Letor,†said Tam. “You left me for dead. I’ve no qualms about doing the same to you, only I won’t leave time to finish the job!†He tightened his grip. “You’re very small, bird. And very weak.â€
“Fine, fine! I’ll tell you!†gasped Letor. “They are going to Helean City, where Mordran is preparing for the fight of all Sphaere!â€
Octavio Pye swore. “I should have known they’d make a move,†he muttered to himself.
“The boy. Is there anything…different about him?†Tzil continued his interrogation.
“What…boy?â€
“The boy they’ve kidnapped! Tam Eizid! Who else?â€
Letor remained stubbornly silent. Tam’s hand moved to the long, sharp knife at his side.
“He’s bait,†said Letor quickly. “He’s a favorite of yours, isn’t he, Captain? You won’t just let him die, will you?â€
Niria, Tzil, and Octavio exchanged glances.
“We’ll have to dispose of the bird,†said Pye. “We can’t let him go back to Vashkar.â€
“I could kill him, sir,†said Tzil, a wild light in his eyes.
“Tzil,†said the captain warningly.
Niria stepped forward and murmured some words. Letor looked balefully at her. Niria smiled maliciously back.
“He can’t change shape now,†she said. “Or talk, for that matter. At least not until I release him.â€
“That’s good,†said Pye. “Tzil, you may put him in that cage.†He indicated a highly ornate golden birdcage hanging from a beam. “Now I can keep an eye on him.â€
Tzil obeyed, glaring, and sat down, at the Captain’s request.
“I don’t believe for one instant that story about Tam being bait,†said Niria. “No one can have any cause to believe that that boy is a favorite.â€
Octavio Pye shrugged again. “But it works,†he said. “We can’t let him die, and we can’t let the Empire keep him. So he does serve as bait, even if he serves another purpose as well.â€
“Do you think they know, then?†said Tzil.
“Of course they know. This isn’t the first time they’ve tried to kidnap him, remember.â€
“Well, what can we do?â€
“We’ll have to rescue him. But first,†added the Captain, stopping Niria, who was about to make an indignant observation. “First, we’ll refresh at Lithuslov. Our retreat from Hermetopolis was quicker than expected, and we need fresh water and fresh fruit. Lithuslov is only a day’s sail from here, and from there we can head to Helean City to rescue the boy.â€
This decision having been made, the stormmasters dispersed, and the captain bent himself to the task if gathering up the papers that had been spilled in the interview.
Chapter Six
Tam woke in a dark room. It was a few minutes before he realized that his hands were tied to the sides of the hard, wooden chair he was sitting on. An alchemical lamp, a crystal globe filled with phlogiston, shone blindingly into his face. As a result, the features of the man sitting across from him were unclear. The voice, however, was anything but. It cut through his throbbing head like a knife.
“Hello, Tam Eizid.â€
“Who are you?†Tam rasped. “How do you know my name?â€
“My faithful spirits have been following the Sea Roc for several weeks. The only reason we haven’t attacked it is that we didn’t want to damage you. You are an extremely valuable young man, Eizid. Do you know of your powers?â€
Tam blinked and squinted, trying desperately to get a good look at the speaker. He did know of his powers, though he had tried to forget.
“Tell me, Tam. Are you happy aboard the Sea Roc?†“Tell me, Tam. Are you happy aboard the Sea Roc?â€
The boy hesitated. “No-ooo,†he said at last, “but I’m happier than I was before.â€
“I could get you a job aboard the Blood Storm. Any position, even first mate. Wages of up to ten aurums a day, luxurious lodgings- oh, anything you desire.â€
Tam snorted. It sounded like a good deal, but these things always did at first, and he wasn’t sure he trusted this silver-tongued stranger. “What’s the catch?â€
“We want you to do us a favor.â€
“What is that?â€
The man reached into a deep pocket and pulled out a small, golden globe, engraved with images of all the lands of Sphaere. It gleamed in the light from the phlogiston lamp, but also seemed to produce a more subtle light from within.
“We want you to use this orb in the service of Emperor Sanguinus IX.â€
“Ah…†said Tam. His head hurt, and he couldn’t think clearly. Everyone had told him not to trust the Empire, ever since he could remember. But… “Can I think about it?†he asked.
“Sure, sure… take as much time as you want…just remember the Blood Storm is waiting for you.†And with that the man stood and left the cabin.
Tam rested his head against the wall. It looked brand new, unlike the wood of the Sea Roc, which still held up well, but was starting to show signs of weathering, and always seemed damp. He did not trust the strange man, however intriguing his offer was. Something about his spirit and the Sea Roc…and the emperor.
Two years ago, Tam had stowed away on an exploring ship, heading out of Sphaere. Halfway across the Inner Sea, the Sea Roc had attacked them. Tam, who had remained hidden for weeks, was discovered by the first mate. Given the choice between death and a job aboard the pirate ship, Tam chose the obvious. He was made cabin boy, but was strangely unused to work, and that along with his strange manner had set the crew against him. But the pirates, even Octavio Pye, knew nothing of his past. Tam had managed to mostly forget it himself, too, and that was all that mattered.
Tam had been trained, in those two years, never to trust the emperor or any of his minions. Which was why he was reluctant to take the offer. But what would happen if he refused?
“Hello!†An imperious -and female- voice broke through his reverie. “Vashkar! Are you in there?â€
Tam said nothing, but tried to remember if he had ever heard the name Vashkar before.
“Vashkar!†repeated the voice. “I want to go swimming. You must warm up the water for me.†When there was still no reply, the owner of the voice marched into the cabin. “It’s awfully dark in here,†she complained, and another phlogiston lamp flared up.
“Oh!†said the girl. She was about Tam’s age, with brown hair down to her lower back, and her features were ominously familiar. The emperor’s features, but softer and more girlish.
“Who are you?†Tam asked, trying to leap to his feet, before remembering that he was tied to a chair.
“I could ask the same to you,†the girl hissed. “What are you doing in here? It’s PRIVATE. So leave.†She put her hands on her hips and looked much like Marmalade when she was disturbed from her rest.
“I’m in here because I don’t exactly have a choice,†said Tam. “And you?â€
“I’m here to keep all these stupid men in check and to stop them from caring for stowaways,†she snapped. “In other words, you.â€
“I’m not a stowaway!†said Tam hotly. “I’m a powder monkey!â€
“We already have fifteen of them. We don’t need another.â€
“I’m not a powder monkey here. On my ship.â€
“Well then, what are you doing here?â€
“I was washed overboard and this ship picked me up. Now leave me alone.â€
“What’s your ship’s name?†asked the girl.
“Why should I tell you?â€
“Because I am your superior. I am the fourth child of Emperor Sanguinus IX.â€
“Even less reason to tell you!†Tam shot back before he could stop himself. “Now leave me alone, for the last time.â€
“Even less…†mused the fourth child of Emperor Sanguinus IX. She looked at Tam suspiciously. “Who are you, exactly?â€
“Tam Eizid, cabin boy.â€
The imperial girl chewed one her long fingernails. As Tam was wondering how they stayed so long if she bit them, it grew a quarter of an inch. She saw him staring.
“I have alchemical talent.†It was most definitely a boast. It also seemed to get her off the track of wondering who he was. She held out her hand, and Tam took it gingerly. “I’m Tera,†she said.
“Hello, Tera,†said Tam, feeling slightly more confident. That was shattered as she added, “You, of course, will call me Princess.â€
The man who had been interrogating Tam walked in, his expression blank. “I’ve done it, Princess. The water around the ship is warmed up,†he said obsequiously. However, as he executed a slight bow, a sneer of utter contempt flickered across his face.
“Good,†said Tera and left without so much as a thank you.
The man – Vashkar – turned to Tam with a sigh. “And how do you like Her Imperial Highness?â€
Tam shook his head. “I don’t want the orb, and I don’t want this stupid power. This is worse than the Sea Roc. This is as bad as what came before…†A lone tear traced its way down his cheek.
“You are tired,†said Vashkar suavely. “You will no doubt feel differently after a rest. Come, I will lead you to your cabin.†Tam let himself be led like a child to a soft berth, where he immediately fell into a deep and welcome slumber.
Chapter Seven
Ren was summoned to the captain’s cabin several hours after the storm. Tzil, Niria, and Vushtek, the alchooktor, were standing or sitting around, and the entire picture was an extremely imposing one. The captain sat at his carved mahogany desk, flanked my Tzil and Niria, and rolling something small and shiny around in his hands. Papers littered the floor around the desk, and an ornate golden birdcage (inhabited by a sulky-looking stormy petrel) hung from a beam. Vushtek was sitting, looking unusually grave, on a spindly gilt chair that looked as though it could hardly support his weight.
“Sit down, Ren,†said the Captain, and Vushtek indicated a straight-backed wooden chair, which was the only other furniture in the cabin. Ren sat, wordlessly.
Octavio Pye settled his hat firmly on his head and leaned forward. “You remember,†he said, “when I told you that you had fire talent.â€
Ren nodded.
“And that there was only one other person that had the same talent.â€
He nodded again.
“That person is Tam Eizid.â€
“Is? Don’t you mean was?â€
“I said is, and I mean is. That storm wasn’t natural. It was sent by Rake Vashkar, the stormmaster of the Blood Storm, the flagship of the Imperial Navy.â€
“They’ve done this before,†said Niria. “Sent storms to carry away people that they want. They’ve even tried it with us, but they always failed.â€
“Until now,†said Ren.
“Yes, until now,†affirmed the Captain. “The Empire’s been dying to get their hands on Tam Eizid, and now they have him.â€
“But you’ve got me, sir,†said Ren. “So you’re even.â€
Vushtek snorted. “Not really,†said Octavio. “Because the Empire’s got something else, something we’ve been dying to get our hands on. They have this.†He held up the thing he had been holding: a small golden orb with pictures etched on it.
“This,†he said, “is the Orb of Centaur–more accurately, a replica of the Orb of Centaur. It can be used only by fire powerfuls, and it will double, triple, quadruple, increase to the power of one hundred, I’m not even sure, the power of the user.â€
Ren was staggered. “Oh,†was the most he could manage.
“Yes, oh. There is a catch, though.â€
“What’s the catch?†asked Ren.
“You mean besides the fact that the Empire has it and we don’t?†said Tzil bitterly. Octavio shot him a warning glance.
“Besides that,†Ren acknowledged.
“The Orb of Centaur is an extremely dangerous object, Ren,†said the Captain, gravely. “If we possessed it, we would never ask that you use it at intervals of less than a week, and only then for a few minutes at a time. Great things can be done with the orb, but it drains the strength of the user.â€
“Tam won’t last,†said Niria flatly. “Mordran will push him and push him until he dies from sheer exhaustion, and then they’ll come looking for you, Ren.â€
“But they don’t know about my powers!†said Ren, fighting against fear.
“They’ll know. Tam will tell them, if they don’t already suspect.â€
Terror welled up inside Ren. He gave a little moan and dropped his head onto his hands.
“That’s why we brought you here,†said Captain Pye. “To warn you of the danger. You must be extremely careful. Don’t go out of sight of one us–myself, Tzil, Vushtek, or Niria. Don’t draw attention to your powers.â€
Ren gave a shaky laugh. “Well, there’s one thing I can’t do. The only remarkable thing fire ever did around me was not kill me.â€
“That’s enough,†said Pye grimly.
Vushtek held up a hand. “I’d like as much as any of you to think we’re safe for a couple of weeks until Tam Eizid is dead–â€
“We’re not safe. What do you think Mordran is going to do first off when he has the Tam and the Orb together? Kill us.â€
“Ahh,†said Vushtek. “That was my point.â€
“Which is why we’re going to rescue Tam, as soon as we’ve got fresh water. And, if it’s possible, I think we should take the Orb as well.â€
This was acknowledged to be good sense, and it was arranged that Ren should spend the night in the sick berth, under the watchful eye of Vushtek, the alchooktor.
Chapter Eight
The next morning they sailed into Pukislyn, the biggest Free Port inside or outside of Sphaere. The Sea Roc dropped anchor in the harbor and most of the crew rowed to the quay. It had been decided that Ren would be safe enough on shore as long as he stayed close to Niria, Vushtek, or Octavio, and so he joined the people in the longboats, eager to set his feet on dry land and to get his first taste of the land beyond Hermetopolis. Tzil stayed behind with the watch to make sure Letor didn’t escape.
“It started out as a Pukis-pelt trading post,†Vushtek told Ren as they rowed in to the city, “but now that Pukises are in high demand as watchdogs and pets, people prefer to have a live Pukis than a dead one.â€
The city was twice as busy as Hermetopolis, though half the size, and nearly everyone was accompanied by a Pukis. Those that weren’t were wearing beautiful coats ranging in color from ivory touched with gold to a deep, fiery red, and given Vushtek’s earlier comment, it didn’t take a genius to deduce why these people didn’t have Pukises riding on their shoulders.
Marmalade dove and leapt through the crowd, touching noses with every other Pukis she met. In her excitement she couldn’t quite decide which form to stay in, so she was switching from dragon to kitten and back again every instant.
Ren laughed, because in watching the small creature twirl and dance he could, for a moment, forget about the grave danger he was in.
Unfortunately, the feeling didn’t last long.
While Ren laughed at Marmalade, he felt a weight settle on his shoulder. His mirth ceased abruptly. He looked up. A gold-orange Pukis sat there, in dragon form. A slight pressure against his legs made him look down, to see a trio of Pukises in cat form, two ivory and one flame-blue, rubbing against his ankles. “Oh, no,†he heard Captain Pye say, but the arrival of another of the creatures on his other shoulder, and one on his head, made it rather difficult to pay any attention to the world around him.
When every available place on Ren had been filled, the fire beings had to settle for trotting as close to him as possible, or flying around him. He couldn’t move a muscle. There was a brief scuffle on his head as Marmalade claimed her rightful throne. He knew the whole crowd was staring, though he couldn’t see past the sea of Pukises.
He could hear Captain Pye muttering curses, and Niria trying to disturb the Pukises with her water magic, and hostile mutterings from the crowd, and then a child shrieking, “Nina, Nina!†and his left shoulder became a little lighter for a moment, as the child pried a Pukis off it. But not for long. The Pukis, Nina, dug her claws deep into his shoulder, and he yelped in pain. “Go on, Nina!†he cried, but not really aloud, only in his head. With a purr that sounded almost like speech, the Pukis released her claws and let herself be cuddled by the little girl, who was staring at Ren as though he was some sort of–Pukis-napper.
But now Ren knew how to get them to leave him alone. He thought hard at them to leave, and one by one, they flew off, until Ren was left with the flame-blue one on one shoulder and Marmalade on the other.
Marmalade fluttered over to Captain Pye after a few minutes, leaving only the flame-blue one on his left shoulder. It refused to leave.
Come on! he silently pleaded, but the Pukis would not leave. Ren caught sight of a portly man with a Pukis-pelt scarf making his way towards them. He was holding an empty cage of what looked like solid water, made by a waveworker. The Pukis seemed to notice the man too, because it dug its claws deeper into Ren’s flesh.
Ah, so that’s how it is, Ren thought at the Pukis. Don’t worry; I’ll get you out of here.
The man with the Pukis-pelt scarf came towards Ren, who was watching him intently. Captain Pye seemed to be watching Ren, wondering what his next action was.
“Come here, Pooky, Pooky,†cooed the trapper. “Here girl.â€
The Pukis hissed and turned into its cat form.
The trapper looked at Ren. “Here, little boy. Bring her to me! She’s mine ya know!†the trapper said.
“No!†Ren yelled. His body was hot and tense. He was trembling with anger, and another, more overpowering sense of fear that he was almost positive was coming from the Pukis. Ren took off running. He heard the shouts of the trapper, Niria, and Captain Pye behind him, but he would not stop. He ran past people of every race and every size. Many of them passed him without noticing. He looked over his shoulder and saw the man running after him. The trapper was getting closer and closer. Ren could barely run anymore. He was about to collapse. The Pukis’ claws were digging hard into his shoulder. One thought came to his mind: flamulo podias–and he realized he had spoken aloud. Ren had no idea where that thought came from, or what it meant, but he suddenly stopped running. He turned around and the man was looking at his feet. They were on fire, but Ren felt no pain.
Ren watched the fire fearfully as it licked his ankles. The Pukis hissed alternately at the flames and the trapper, who was staring frozen at Ren’s feet. The little conflagration was gaining power, and now it was halfway up his calves. And now it hurt. Time seemed not to exist as he watched his lower body be consumed in fire.
Then the Pukis on his shoulder sprang into action. She scrambled down his shirt and puckered her lips, switching to dragon form as she did so. With a loud slurp, she inhaled the fire, ballooning out her cheeks. The trapper sprang away, but he wasn’t fast enough. With a loud sound like an alchemical explosion mixed with a massive belch, the Pukis spat a huge ball of bluish flame at her former master. The fat man’s white ponytail suddenly exploded into cinders, and he was left with a meager crop of thinning brown hair and several sooty marks on his face.
The Pukis shifted back into kitten form. Ren walked away with what he hoped was a jaunty, confident step, the soles of his feet screaming in pain as they touched his rough sandals.
As soon as he deemed the man far enough away, he sat down, pulled off his shoes, and examined his feet. They were badly blistered, but he might be able to make it back to the quay…if he could find it.
He sat down on the cold cobblestones and put his head in his hands. He had done everything he had been warned not to do. Don’t go out of sight, don’t draw attention to your powers… And now he was lost and alone, easy pickings for the Empire. A tear trickled down his face, and then more and more, hot and salty and stinging.
Suddenly a foreign thought touched his mind. He shrieked, leaping up and raising his fists in helpless self-defense, then wincing as his burned feet and ankles protested. The thought hit him again, and he drew a wary breath. Another small thought called out to him. “Who are you?†he snarled. He had heard of mind touching, of course–everyone had–but he had never expected it could be real. Now that it was, keeping his secret hidden would be more difficult than he had ever expected.
However, the next thought felt not harsh and threatening, like he expected, but almost gentle. But really, who would want to be gentle if they could read minds?
A sound like a crackling flame seared through his head and the soles of his feet began to throb worse than before. “Aaaaaargh!†he yelled. In a second, the feeling passed, but when he opened his eyes there sat the Pukis he had saved, the blue one with the shiny orange eyes, perched comfortably on his knees.
“Felt that, did you?†the voice purred, and finally Ren understood who the mysterious mind reader was.
“I do believe, that when your feet caught on fire, you were meant to run faster. Not stand there as if you were petrified,†the voice continued with a rumbling chuckle.
“How….†Ren protested.
“There is a water spirit in the vicinity,†the Pukis interrupted. “His essence chills me. I believe my old master is speaking with him. Over there!â€
The last thought switched from a gentle purr to a harsh yowl. Ren swiveled around just in time to overhear some of the conversation. “There is a water spirit in the vicinity,†the Pukis continued. “His essence chills me. I believe my old master is speaking with him. Over there!â€
The last thought switched from a gentle purr to a harsh yowl. Ren swiveled around just in time to overhear some of the conversation.
“…definitely had fire talent. Did you see how the Pukises were drawn to him?â€
“I did. Vashkar will be pleased. Mordran may even see fit to reward you.â€
The latter speaker was a mysterious figure in a blue cloak. Just as Ren tried to get closer, the figure exploded in a blast of freezing spray. A stormy petrel rose from the churning water and flew off to the East.
Ren felt as though his stomach was filled with sour milk. “They know,†he whispered.
“We have to get back to the Captain,-um- what should I call you?†said Ren.
“No need to be so loud,†thought the Pukis. “Call me…†Here it thought something unpronounceable.
“What!†Ren ejaculated, accidentally out loud. “Sorry,†he thought more quietly, “but I can’t possibly say that. Can I call you Elexis?â€
“I suppose,†the Pukis thought back. “Now, we must get you back to your Captain.â€
I know, thought Ren, but how? A thought came to his mind from the Pukis. “Use your power. Back there, when you scared away my owner, you used some. Try it now.â€
“But how?†Ren asked again.
“You mustn’t focus on using your powers yet. If you do that when you have no control, they will not work. Just let them come to you.†So Ren sat there at the bench, trying to forget the pain in his legs and watching the ships go by.
After about an hour, he stood up, winced, sat down again, and glared at the Pukis. “This isn’t working!†he exclaimed.
“Be patient,†said the Pukis. “Later, you will learn how to use your powers in the here and now, but this is not the right time.â€
So Ren sulked for about another half hour, but finally something came to his mind. Flamulo helioso, were the words, and he dutifully repeated them. As if it were a reflex, Ren closed his eyes, and spread out his arms. He had no control over this, and when he tried to put his arms down, they sprung up again. He felt some heat on his arms, and when he finally opened his eyes, his arms were on fire. The Pukis was flying next to him. Ren looked down: they were a good 50 feet above the island. Ren saw the harbor, and the distant figure of the Sea Roc bobbing up and down on the slight waves and then glanced over at the Pukis, who was flying with him. “Quick! Go before the fire begins to burn you!â€
Ren flapped his arms, laughing, and dove towards the ship like a falcon, landing with a thump on the deck and gasping at the pain of the impact on his tender legs. The fire on his arms sputtered and spat and then went out.
Tzil, who was standing on the quarterdeck, looking out across the harbor, turned at the sound. His eyes widened when he saw the Pukis, but he recollected himself and beckoned to a man–his face seemed familiar, but Ren couldn’t think of the corresponding name. “Go find the Captain and tell him we’ve found the boy,†Tzil commanded, and the man nodded and started off. “Tell him to bring the alchooktor!†Tzil added. The man touched his hat, climbed over the side and into a waiting boat, and was gone.
“Well,†said Tzil. “You’ve made a pretty mess of things. Half the Pukises in the city flying off without rhyme nor reason to go sit on your head–mysterious rumors of flaming boys–every crew member who can be trusted not to blab out looking for you, and wave spirits around every corner–I always knew trouble would come of this.â€
Ren gaped. He knew he’d made a spectacle–though he hadn’t meant to–but he’d never expected it would grow so huge so fast.
“What in Sphaere have you done, boy?†Octavio Pye came tearing over the side of the ship, seized Ren by the shoulder, and dragged him unceremoniously into the cabin, where he pushed him onto a chair and then proceeded to fly into a towering rage, while Tzil looked on from the doorway and Vushtek waited calmly for the Captain to finish. Ren nodded at the appropriate times and looked dutifully ashamed, but he couldn’t concentrate. His thoughts kept drifting off to join Elexis’s, and every time, she would prod him back into focusing on the Captain. Even so, he hardly heard a single word from Octavio Pye until the berating ceased abruptly.
“What?†asked Ren, startled out of his reverie.
“Your legs!†said Octavio Pye, aghast.
“What? Oh.†Ren looked down at his legs. His pants were burnt up to the knee, and what of his legs was visible was an angry red color. “It doesn’t hurt that much,†he lied.
“Vushtek,†said the Captain despairingly. “Deal with him. Tzil, we’ll sail at sunset.â€
Ren obediently followed Vushtek to the sick berth, where he had spent the previous night, and allowed the achooktor to smear ointment on the blisters and bandage them. He watched docilely as Vushtek banged and cursed in his search for bandages. “Bandages for burns,†he told Ren as he wound slightly salty cloths around the boy’s legs, “should be clean and dry. Unfortunately, when you live on a ship, nothing is clean and dry, not even the bandages. I see you’ve picked up a friend,†he added, nodding at Elexis, who had been perched on Ren’s shoulder for the past half an hour.
“Oh, yes,†said Ren. “Her name’s Elexis.â€
Vushtek raised one dark bushy eyebrow but said nothing until he had finished tying the bandage. “You’d best lie down for now,†he said. “It’s no good walking on those feet, not for a while yet.
Ren allowed Vushtek to help him into a hammock, and Elexis curled around his neck in cat form, purring faint, smoky purrs. Ren smiled, feeling small and childish and taken-care-of. It was a sensation he hadn’t felt in years, certainly not since his uncle had died. He fell asleep thinking of home.
“Wake up, boy!†the voice of Octavio Pye said, searing through Ren’s dreams. The powder monkey sat up with a start, and the hammock rocked wildly.
“Now,†said the Krakeneater, looking particularly fierce. “I want you to tell me exactly what happened to you. Don’t leave anything out. And I’m especially interested in learning how you came upon THIS.†With his last word he yanked the furry figure of Elexis from behind his back and waved her in front of Ren’s face. “Do you want Marmalade to be so jealous that she burns our entire ship into the sea?â€
“Marmalade wouldn’t do that!†Ren was shocked.
“She most certainly would,†said Captain Pye grimly. “She’s had a hand in sinking most of the ships we ever pirated, and she could certainly sink this one.â€
Elexis sank her teeth into Captain Pye’s hand and jumped onto Ren’s lap, hissing.
“Alright,†said Ren slowly. “I’ll tell you the whole story.†And so he did, starting with the Pukis trapper, and ending with the fact that he could speak to Elexis.
“That’s very well and good, Ren,†said Octavio, “but if you’re going to use your powers, you need to use them with good judgment. According to all the old literature, a fire powerful carries more magic than an alchemist or a stormmaster could hold, and if it’s misused you could virtually destroy Sphaere, or the Inner Sea at the very least.â€
Ren stared, incredulous. Suddenly his head snapped back with a jerk. Elexis looked into his eyes innocently.
“Sheesh, get a grip on yourself,†she thought calmly, only half joking. “You need to stop acting so surprised every 3 seconds when you learn about yet another of your powers. Considering how many more there are to come…â€
“What!?†Ren said, shocked. “I have more?â€
“What?†The captain looked bemused.
“Nothing.â€
“Are you sure? You’re talking to yourself.â€
“I’m talking to Elexis,†said Ren.
“Ah. About Elexis. We’re going to have to work something out with her and Marmalade. I understand that she’ll have to stay on the ship, but I’d rather that we continue to have a ship to stay on.â€
“Perhaps we could talk it out,†suggested Elexis.
“Maybe they could, um, talk to each other about it,†repeated Ren. The captain looked faintly disbelieving. Ren shrugged helplessly. “It was her idea.â€
Captain Pye shook his head, but Ren thought he saw the corner of the Krakeneater’s mouth twitch as he stood and stalked away. Elexis stayed only long enough to give Ren a feline wink and then sauntered off after the Captain.
~~~~~~~~~~
He heard a rush of wind, and a very small, bright fire appeared a few feet away, hovering less than half an inch above the floor. “Did I start it?†he asked himself. Perhaps this was the beginning of the end. Maybe he had misused his power already, and Sphaere was doomed.
The fire grew bigger and bigger, and Ren, with a nightmare passivity, watched it grow larger, closer, brighter. Soon it would reach his hammock, and then him and – Ren couldn’t think about that. He closed his eyes tightly. Nothing happened, but an odd sensation came over him. He tried to cry out and failed. He opened his eyes to see images moving around him and heard voices. The images cleared away, and he was standing on a gray ship. No one took notice of him except for a boy swabbing the decks next to him. “I know you,†the boy muttered to himself. “Who…Ren?â€
Ren suddenly knew who the boy was. “Tam,†he breathed.
Captain Pye found Ren lying on the floor next to his hammock. He was asleep or in a trance, and appeared to be holding a conversation with a voice unheard.
Rake Vashkar looked at Tam. He was kneeling on the deck, a holystone in his hand and a bucket by his side. But he wasn’t scrubbing the deck. He was talking.
“Where is this?†asked Ren.
“The Blood Storm,†replied Tam. “Well, not really. I’m not sure where we are. I was on the Blood Storm, a minute ago.â€
“Did you set something on fire?â€
“Me? No. Why?â€
Ren took a breath. “Did you know you have fire power, Tam?â€
“How do you know about that?â€
“Because I do too. I set my legs on fire. See?†He gestured to his blistered calves.
“Ouch,†said Tam sympathetically.
Ren frowned. Something had occurred to him. “You do know about your talent. Captain said you didn’t.â€
“The Blood Storm’s weatherweaver told me about it. He wants me to use some orb. He’s paying me an awful lot.â€
“Oh, no,†moaned Ren. But then the grayness that surrounded him and Tam closed in, bringing with it all the previous images. He cried out, and woke.
As the gray mist faded and Tam came to himself, he found he was still sitting on the deck. His first thought was, what in Sphaere just happened?
His next thought was, I’m scrubbing the deck. What about all those fancy positions I was promised? But of course, he would only get a good position if he promise to work that orb. It was tempting, that was for sure.
Very tempting, in fact. Tam looked down at the holystone in his hand, and the vast expanse of deck that he was supposed to scrub. If he just accepted the offer, he would never have to do this again.
At any rate, what had the Empire ever done to harm him? Just because the pirates hated Sanguinus IX didn’t mean he had to. And what the Emperor did couldn’t be any worse than what the pirates did. Could it?
Never scrub the deck again… Any position, even first mate… Wages of up to te
CAKE! It’s not working!
What seems to be the problem? Is the post something long?
20.1- Yes, very long, though I shortened it several times.
Can you just post it in installments?
Yes, but even the installments were too long.
All right, I’m going to post it in short installments. It only includes what changes have been posted on MB, there are no little edits of my own even where they’re badly needed.
The Inner Sea had formed hundreds of years before, when the lowland flats in the
center of Sphaere had been deluged constantly as the Age of Ice ended and the great glaciers melted. Now, the only land surface of Sphaere is the mountains around its shores.
The Sanguiz Empire soon took advantage of the confusion caused by the Deluge to expand its territory from the handful of states it once commanded. As our story opens, all of Sphaere is under its iron grip.
That is, almost all.
Hardy bands of seafarers, disgusted with the decadence and corruption that infects Sphaere, have taken to the Inner Sea and the scattering of lawless isles in its center. They raid the prosperous, Empire-sanctioned merchant ships that cross the Sea and bamboozle the incompetent navy.
One ship in particular is notable among these: The Sea Roc.
Ren Splayr dashed down the narrow alley, the loose soles of his sandals flapping on its damp bricks. The whistles of the soldiers weren’t far behind. Ren hoped he could get to the seafront before they caught him and he went the same way as his uncle. Perlan Ethor, Ren’s only remaining family, had taken him in when his mother died and his father disappeared. Now Perlan was gone too, shot by the captain of the guard for writing an article about corruption in the Sanguiz Empire. Funny how a few strokes of ink in the Hermetopolis Gazette could translate into a puff of alchemical smoke, a flying musket ball, and death. Ren was wanted too, simply for knowing Perlan and “possible aiding and abetting propaganda against our glorious Emperor Sanguinus IX.”
Ren’s only hope was to stow away aboard a merchant ship bound for the opposite side of Sphaere, all the way across the Inner Sea.
“Where are you running to, boy?” said a gruff voice, and Ren looked up into the eyes of a man. Probably a sailor of high rank, to judge by his clothes. Maybe even a captain. He wore a very large and ridiculous three-cornered hat. In spite of his present state, Ren wanted to laugh, but there was no time. He dodged the man, and sped off down the alley again.
Octavio Pye watched the boy go. Limber, agile, small for his age of maybe fourteen… he would make a good powder monkey. Why was he in such a hurry?
A bunch of officious-looking people in the uniforms of Imperial soldiers rushed down the alley after the boy. Octavio was experienced at looking as though he had no idea what was going on. The guards didn’t question him.
So the boy is in trouble with the Sanguiz Empire, Octavio mused. I don’t think he will refuse a job aboard the Sea Roc.
He turned and took one of the many shortcuts he knew to the harbor.
Ren ran on, his heart pounding in his chest, his breath coming ragged. He reached the harbor, and looked wildly from side to side for a place to hide. The soldiers were gaining, and there was nowhere to go.
Nowhere except the stinking black water of the harbor.
One of the soldiers, a lean, athletic one, pulled ahead, raising his musket to his shoulder. Ren leaped into the sea, hearing the bullet whiz over his head.
With a loud sploosh, the water closed over him. He fought to get to the surface, flailing wildly. When he reached it, though, he almost wished he hadn’t. Three soldiers were pointing guns at him, and looked like they intended to use them.
There were three loud cracks, and Ren cringed, expecting to feel the bullets smashing into his chest. But he didn’t. He looked up to see the soldiers clutching their injured hands, their unfired muskets on the ground beside them.
What happened? thought Ren. The soldiers were pushed out of the way as a man with a long beard and a green robe pulled him out of the water with a grip as strong as a lion’s. The man, judging by his appearance was an alchemist, maybe a doctor. “Come on! We must hurry! These soldiers will recover and call for reinforcements very soon.” Ren had no choice but to follow the alchemist through the crowds of people, hoping that wherever he was going, it was somewhere safe.
The alchemist stopped in front of a small three-masted ship moored at an out-of-the-way corner of the dock.
“Vushtek!” came a cry from on board. “You found him!”
“Yes, and I’m being pursued. Let me up, quick!”
A head poked over the rail. It was the man from the alley. “If they catch up to you, they’ll be sorry they messed with the crew of Octavio Pye. Tzil? Niria? I need a wind.”
Ren dimly noticed a man in blue and white clothing raising a hand, and a strong breeze blowing across the waterfront. A weatherweaver, he thought, but he wasn’t surprised. His head was reeling from hearing the name of Octavio Pye. Octavio Pye! The dreaded Captain Krakeneater of the pirate ship Sea Roc!!!
There was a ladder built into the side of the ship, and a dazed Ren was passed up this and onto the deck. The alchemist–Vushtek–scrambled up behind him.
Octavio Pye cast only a glance over Ren, but the look in his eyes as he did so, was, if not quite sympathetic, not unkind either. “Arn!†he called, and a burly young man about Ren’s age looked up from his task.
“Yes, sir?â€
“This is a new powder monkey. Show him to his quarters, and explain his duties.â€
“Aye aye, Captain.†Arn gave Ren a friendly nod. “Follow me,†he said.
By this time Ren had regained his wits, and followed Arn through a hatch and down a ladder.
“Quarters are pretty cramped already, and we’ve only got three powder monkeys, not including you,†said Arn. “I dunno how we’ll fit another, but I guess you’re pretty small, and we could always kick Tam out.â€
Ren found himself nodding in agreement, and then realized what Arn had said. “Who’s Tam? And why kick him out?â€
Arn made a face. “You’ll find out soon enough. Now, your duties…â€
Arn had just finished explaining Ren’s duties, which were more numerous than the latter had ever imagined, when a bell rang. Arn jumped up.
“Dinner,†he said. “Follow me.â€
They collected their food and sat down at a rough wooden table, which Ren noted was nailed to the floor. Two boys were already sitting there, one, a small dark-haired child who could not have been over eleven, if that, and the other a tall, awkward, fair-haired youth with a miserable expression.
“Ren, this is Sev–†indicating the younger boy “–and this is Tam. Sev, Tam, this is Ren, the new powder monkey.â€
Sev looked up at Ren and grinned. “Nice to meet you,†he said.
“Likewise,†replied Ren politely.
Tam muttered something that may have been a greeting. Sev and Arn exchanged glances. Sev said something that sounded rather like “candles.†Arn seemed to understand, but Ren did not understand in the slightest.
“Candles?†he said with great confusion. Arn and Sev both nodded vigorously.
“Going out,†said Arn. “Never mind.â€
“Have you met Marmalade yet?†asked Sev, skillfully changing the subject.
“No,†said Ren. “Who’s Marmalade?â€
“She’s the Captain’s Pukis,†Sev said.
Ren’s eyes widened. “A Pukis? Really?†Pukises were extremely rare, shapeshifting dragon-cats from the Free Isle of Lithuslov. Their fur was extremely rare and valuable, and though Ren had never seen one, it was rumored that the emperor had a score of them in golden cages.
“Really,†said Arn.
“She sinks ships,†added Sev. “Very useful in battle, you know.â€
This brought Ren back with a jolt. He was on a pirate ship. Pirates killed people, stole…they were worse than the Empire, and, as a boy who had grown up with Perlan Ethor, Ren had no very high regard for the Empire. He groaned, wishing he was back in Hermetopolis. Not that Hermetopolis was safe anymore, after they killed Perlan… He was suddenly awash in misery.
“What’s the matter?†asked Sev. “Homesick?â€
Ren shook his head stubbornly and stood up. “Wait just a moment! You people can’t just bring me onto your ship and force me into working on it! I refuse!â€
Sev’s eyes grew large. He stood up, trying to quiet Ren. “Now, now,†he said. “Don’t be so hasty…â€
“HASTY!†Ren shrieked. “I have my own home you know! My own life! You expect me to just drop that and join a group of murdering, thieving…â€
“Funny,†Arn interrupted.†I thought you were on the run from the empire.â€
All thought of argument drained out of Ren and he returned heavily to his seat, the weight of his situation crashing down on him. Arn was right. Ren couldn’t return to his previous life. The death of his uncle had changed everything. He had no other place to go.
“Don’t worry!†Sev encouraged, obviously relieved that Ren had stopped shouting. “You’ll get used to it! It’s actually a rather good life!â€
Sev babbled on and on. Ren eventually learned to drown the younger boy’s voice out to the point that it was simply background noise, like that of a fly buzzing in his ear. He glanced curiously at the boy Arn had called Tam. Tam was clearly antisocial. He had barely said anything the whole time that Ren had been there. Currently, he was staring at a nearby candle, as if there was something fascinating in the depths of its flame.
Looking at the boy, Ren could see why the others were not friendly with Tam. He never joined into their conversation and he held himself in an odd manner, as if he had a much higher status then that of a powder monkey.
Determined, Ren leaned toward the boy. “Hello. My name is Ren,†he said hesitantly.
“Yeah. I know,†Tam replied, never taking his eyes off of the candle’s flame. Ren’s eyes followed his.
“What? It’s just a candle.â€
Tam shrugged. “I like candles,†he said softly. The light flickered on his pale countenance.
Ren turned back to Sev and Arn, who looked at him gravely. “Is he all right?†Ren asked in a whisper.
“He’s not simple, if that’s what you mean,†Arn whispered back. “But he’s had an awfully hard life.â€
‘How so?†Ren was intrigued.
“Won’t tell. He talks in his sleep, a bit, but we haven’t really heard anything beyond some mumblings about wanting to be left alone.â€
Sev nodded in agreement to Arn’s words. “Yeah,†he said. “I tell you, Tam’s got a screw loose.â€
Looking at Tam, still intent on staring at the candle’s flame, Ren could only agree. However, there was something about Tam, Ren didn’t know what, that made Ren like the boy. But Sev and Arn had moved on to other topics and Ren let himself be drawn back into the conversation until the meal had ended.
A silent moon shimmered on the horizon. Ren strained his ears, listening for any sound other then the creaking hull of the Sea Roc and the lapping of the waves against her sides. He dared not even to breathe as he glanced around at his companions. To his left was Arn, a serious frown upon his face, and to his right was Seth, who, for once, had given his voice a rest. Ren glanced over his shoulder at Tam, who, of all the boys, appeared the most relaxed. For some reason that Ren could not decipher, Tam had always been most at home in the storeroom, amongst the flameable weapons. In answer to Ren’s gaze, Tam produced a calm smile, which Ren reflected rather timidly.
After all of the times that Ren had participated in these escapades, he had never fully gotten used to them. The suspense tried on his nerves, leaving him constantly on edge.
Suddenly, the air whistled around them. All four boys jumped up in anticipation as the first contact was made. Screams rent the air as the Sea Roc shuddered violently and reeled as if it had been struck. Not even pausing for an instant Ren picked up several cannon-balls and ran out of the storage room. Around him, the deck of the Sea Roc was plagued with the chaos of battle. Ren blotted out the roar of the scene before him and focused solely on his mission, to get to the cannons. Time slowed as he ran across the deck. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he neared the cannon line. Wordlessly, he handed the cartridges to the nearest men and raced back to the store rooms.
As Ren reached the storage room door, the Sea Roc lurched wildly. With a cry, Ren lost his footing and slammed into the oncoming wall. Smoke clogged his vision and Ren looked up, wincing, to see flames devouring the elegant hull of an emperial trading ship.
“Need some help?†offered a voice beside him.
Ren glanced toward the voice and smiled when he saw Tam, who was extending his hand to him. Ren smiled gratefully and took Tam’s hand. In that instant, Tam disappeared into the smokey haze, but not before Ren saw the manic flickering of the fire in his eyes. Without another thought, Ren followed after him.
The need for gunpowder was limitless. Ren quickly developed a film of sweat over his skin from his endless marathon. However, his endeavers were paying off. Slowly, yet surely, the merchant ship was falling into their hands.
Ren could see the cannon line in the distance. With an extra burst of speed, Ren sped across the ship, a heap of gun powder held securely in his hands. It was only out of the corner of his eye that he glimpsed a stray spark creep toward him. He barely had a second to react before the spark reached his precious cargo.
Ren screamed as his powder ignited. A shockwave resonated off of the mass, sending Ren flying for several yards. For a moment, Ren lay on his back on the ships rolling floor. I should be dead. he thought. He cracked his eyes open nervously and immediately gasped. His hands contained a bright, flaming bundle. Ren’s mind reeled. My hands are on fire. But I feel nothing. I should be DEAD! All thoughts fled from his mind and Ren fell into a dead faint.
He came to, minutes or perhaps hours later, laying on the gun deck in a pool of blood. He jumped to his feet, horrified, and ran his hands over his body before he realized that the blood was not his own. Around him, sailors were dragging the dead and wounded away. The battle was over. And here was Arn, hurrying over with Sev in his wake, and there was Tam, standing aloof as usual, staring vacantly into the air. Ren knew that if he had been closer he could have seen the flames dancing in Tam’s eyes, even when there was no fire to be reflected.
“Ren, Ren!†shrilled Sev. “What happened?â€
Arn’s expression was graver, his face pale underneath the soot . “Tam says your charge exploded,†he said.
“It did,†said Ren. ‘Or…I thought it did.â€
“It’s amazing you’re still alive!†Sev exclaimed in awe.
Ren nodded slowly, his memory returning to him in confuddled flashes. Could his mind possibly be playing tricks on him?
Arn gasped, snapping Ren out of his abstraction. “Your hands!†Arn cried in alarm. Ren glanced absentmindedly at his palms and exhaled in shock. Through the thick layer of soot that covered his hands, bloody gashes could be seen on his skin.
“We have to get you to the infirmary immediately!†Arn declared. “If it gets infected…..â€
Ren nodded agreeably and allowed himself to be led away by his friend. Glancing over his shoulder, he met the gaze of Tam, who was watching him with an unnerving gaze. Something told Ren that he had a lot of explaining to do once he escaped from the ship’s doctor.
Hours later, Ren emerged from the cockpit, very much shaken, with bandages wrapped around his palms.
He felt a pang of emptiness and vaguely recalled that he had not eaten since before the raid. Suddenly ravenous, Ren jogged toward the ship’s kitchen. He was stopped, however, by the ringing of the bell for the next watch. Ren turned reluctantly. His stomache would just have to wait.
Ren ran down to the main deck and joined the rest of his watch as they went about their various duties. He spotted Tam grab some sponges to scrub the decks and Ren bent to join him. He knew that Tam would want to know of everything that had transpired during the battle.
“Ren! Come help over here!†came a friendly voice. Arn and several other crew members were patching a sail. Arn motioned for Ren to come over. Ren met eyes with Tam, promising in one look that he would explain later.
The older boy smiled warmly as Ren approached and handed him a needle.
“I’m really glad that you weren’t too badly hurt during the battle, Ren.†Arn said absently, re-threading his own needle. “Sev makes me nervous sometimes when we’re up here. He’s just so young. And Tam just creeps me out.â€
Ren nodded, piecing together the canvas with clumsy stitches. “So, how was the rest of the battle?†he asked. “I mean, after…y’know.â€
“It was great,†said Arn. “And there’s heaps of money–not that we’ll get much of it, but it’s some, at least.â€
Ren nodded. They sat in companionable silence for a while.
“Did your charge really explode?†Arn burst out suddenly.
“Yes,†said Ren. “At least, I think so.â€
Arn nodded and looked away, out to the horizon. “Tam’s charge exploded once,†he said. “Back when he was pretty new, like you. He wasn’t injured either.â€
“I’m injured,†said Ren, not sure what else to say. He was thinking of that mad fire flickering in Tam’s eyes, and the look of pure joy on Tam’s face. He shuddered.
Arn didn’t seem to notice. “You’re not injured much,†he said. “Not half as bad as most people are when a pound of gunpowder blows up in their hands. I’ve seen three powder monkeys die when their charge exploded, and one more who got burned so bad he was blind when his wounds healed. You and Tam are the only two people I’ve ever seen come through that unscathed.â€
Ren said nothing, and the rest of the watch passed in silence.
“Ren…†muttered Arn as they tiptoed along the dark deck. Starlight danced on the surface of the ocean. “This is a bad idea.â€
“I have to know,†said Ren firmly. “You have the candle?â€
Arn removed his hand from where it was cupped around the flame, and the light sprang up, revealing the boys’ expressions: Arn, grim, Ren, solemn and vaguely frightened.
Ren screwed his eyes shut and extended his hand. “Do it,†he said bravely.
Arn looked from Ren to the candle, and back again. “Ren,†he said. “It was probably just a fluke. I’m not going to set you on fire. I can’t.†He turned to go.
Ren reached out and snatched the candle. It guttered in the draft created by the sudden movement, and then flared up, brighter than ever, as Tam appeared, horror in his pale face.
“Don’t!†he cried hoarsely, and lunged at the candle, clapping his hands over the flame, extinguishing it. He howled in agony, cries quite disproportionate to the injuries inflicted by a tiny candle-flame, and Ren himself felt a tremor of pain and intense fear as Tam collapsed, sobbing, on the deck.
There were shouts from the watch, who had been alerted by Tam’s cries, and then Octavio Pye was there, towering over the sailors, demanding to know what had happened. Ren and Arn exchanged glances. “Well,†Ren started.
“We were going for a walk,†put in Arn.
“I couldn’t sleep,†said Ren, “and I went for a walk and found Arn. so we were walking around and Tam came up and he surprised us, so…†there he ran out of inspiration and foundered. Arn came to his aid.
“And he surprised us, so I dropped my candle, only he caught it before it started a fire, and it burned him.â€
Ren nodded vigorously in confirmation. Captain Pye’s eyes narrowed. “Take Eizid to his berth,†he ordered Arn. “You,†he said to Ren, “come with me. And you lot†(this directed at the sailors on watch) “get back to your duties.â€
Ren followed the captain reluctantly. Since his first day of capture, months ago, he had never once been directly spoken to by the captain, and he liked it that way. Pirates were just like anyone else, if a bit rougher and coarser and more prone to bloodshed than the majority of Hermitopolans, but Octavio Pye was different. Before Ren had full taken in his situation, he was standing in the cabin of Captain Pye, the Krakeneater. Appropriately enough, there was a half-eaten plate of kraken calamari sitting on the table. the Captain took a seat, but he did not offer one to Ren, and the boy was too frightened to ask for one himself, so he remained standing.
“Ren Splayr,†said Captain Pye. “Tell me the entire story, from the beginning. That’s an order,†he added, when Ren tried to protest.
“Yes, sir,†said Ren timidly. “During the last battle, my charge exploded.â€
Octavio raised his eyes. “Did it now,†he said, with interest. “Continue.â€
“It exploded. But I wasn’t hurt–not much at least. And Arn said how everyone died when their charge exploded, except me and Tam. And then I remembered one time when I was little and I stuck my hand in the fire, and didn’t hurt, and then Perlan got all serious and I heard him talking to my aunt about it, and I can’t remember what they said, but anyway–†he paused for breath, aware that he was babbling, and nearly apologized, but the Captain was looking interested and serious, so he went on. “Anyway, I thought maybe it had something to do with fire, so I wanted to stick my hand in a fire again, and see what happened.†Here the Captain drew a sharp breath, and Ren stopped again. “Sir?â€
“You are far too bright for your own good, boy. But go on.â€
“But Arn wouldn’t light my bandages, so I was going to do it, only Tam came up and snuffed the candle. It seemed to hurt him a lot more than it ought,†he added, puzzled.
The Captain had pushed away his calamari, and was pulling maps out and unrolling them. “You said your uncle knows?†he asked.
“Knows what, sir?â€
The Captain sighed, and let the map roll back up on itself. “Ren Splayr, there are two people in the world who are like you, and you are one of them. You know of stormmasters and alchemists, of course, who can control the elements.â€
“Of course, sir. But I’m not one. Not a very powerful one, anyway.â€
“No. You are infinitely more rare. Your talent is not that of water or wind or earth–yours is fire.â€
This did not have the impact that Octavio had expected. Ren continued to stand there, looking confused. “But sir,†he said, “there isn’t a fire talent.â€
“There is,†said the Captain. “As I said, there are only two people in all of Sphaere who have that power. The Empire knows of only one, and they have heard rumors of a second, which is you, but they certainly don’t spread the knowledge. I too had heard rumors of a second fire powerful, but I didn’t expect it to be you, a stray and an orphan in the streets of Hermetopolis!â€
Ren was too confused to mind being called a stray. “You said there were two. Who’s the other one?â€
The Captain shook his head. “That is for me to know. Leave now. And don’t tell anyone what I have told you, understand? No one.â€
Ren nodded and fled the premises.
Octavio sighed, staring at the place where the boy had been. Two years ago, he might of thought of this as an extraordinary piece of good luck. Both fire powerfuls here, under his very nose! But he had had too much trouble with the Empire, and the boy Tam exasperated him. Still, it was better he had the boys, troublesome though they may be, than the Empire have either one of them. They would give him a remarkable advantage, provided the Empire didn’t know of them. If the Splayr boy’s uncle had suspected his nephew’s power, if he had told the Empire… but the lad had been running, he had nearly been killed. The Empire couldn’t know; they wouldn’t risk wounding such a valuable asset. Octavio took another deep breath and rolled up the map. They would go to Lithuslov as planned, and the Empire would never follow them there. All was well.
The days passed with monotonous regularity. Ren avoided Arn, and Tam avoided Ren. Arn watched both Tam and Ren with a dubious aloofness, and Sev remained perfectly oblivious that anything had occurred at all.
It was some days after Ren’s attempted experiment and the subsequent talk with the Captain, that Ren awoke feeling something was wrong. The storm blew out of the south with unbelievable fury and suddenness. Massive towers of cloud piled up in the sky, crowned by lightning.
“Tzil! Niria! I need you on deck!†bellowed the Captain. “We have to quell the storm!â€
Tzil Azuro, the ship’s weatherweaver, rushed up, followed by a young woman of about twenty years. “We’ll do our best, Captain,†said the woman, “but there’s something wrong about these waves…â€
Tzil licked his finger and raised it up. Small strands of lightning seemed to crackle across the tip. “Niria’s right,†he said urgently. “This is a made storm.â€
“Can you quell it?†the captain asked.
“Well… together, Niria and I are a match for any lone stormmaster on the Inner Sea, but this one must have been sent by a confederation of twenty, possibly more. We need to find a safe harbor, and fast.â€
The captain considered for a moment, and then began barking orders. “All sails up, crew! Niria, make sure the waves don’t swamp us. Tzil, keep the wind to a moderate level so the canvas doesn’t burst. We’re going to ride this storm out until we can reach the isle of Lithuslov. We’re not far now.â€
Ren stood still as confusion immediately fell upon the ship, and the crew ran every-which-way, not sure what they were supposed to be doing. He wondered where Lithuslov was. He vaguely remembered learning about the Free Isles in school, but that had been three years ago, and the teacher had hurried over the subject. They were “uninhabited,†that is, inhabited by rebels and pirates–the very sort of people Ren now spent every moment of his life.
Lightning cracked, and Ren started as an idea struck him. He ran up to the captain. “Sir, could I help the stormmasters? You said I had talent, and lightning–â€
Octavio Pye cut him off. “Ask them.â€
Ren trotted up to Tzil and Niria, standing with closed eyes in the middle of the hustle and bustle. “Could I help?†he asked, reluctant to disturb them.
Niria opened her eyes. “What?â€
“I said, could I help?†repeated Ren. “The Captain says I’ve got power–not this kind of power, fire power but lightning’s sort of fire isn’t it?†he finished hurriedly.
Tzil and Niria exchanged glances, half amused, half frustrated. “So this is the Captain’s new prodigy,†said Niria. “I knew something was up.â€
“We haven’t got time for this,†said Tzil, then turning to Ren: “Look, you’re untrained and I don’t know your powers anyway, so maybe you can deal with lightning, maybe you can’t. I appreciate the offer, but we don’t have time right now.†He closed his eyes and went back to muttering spells.
“Sorry,†added Niria, before following suit.
“I understand,†muttered Ren, and picked his way across the tossing, sloping deck.
A colossal wave, driven by the mad wind, mounted ahead. The Sea Roc was lifted up by the wave and flung through the air like a toy. Tzil and Niria rose into the air, wreathed in glittering chains of electricity. Ren managed to grab hold of a bulwark and prevent himself from being swept away. Tam Eizid was not so lucky. The older boy was smashed off the deck by a freezing, gray plume of water. Several seabirds rode its crest, screaming triumphantly.
“Stormy petrels,†Captain Pye muttered. Then he shouted, “Throw Tam a line!†Another wave broke over the deck, making him cough and splutter. He knew the chances of saving Tam were virtually nil, but he had to try.
“It’s no good, Captain,†Tzil said. His voice rang like a bell through the clamor of the storm, even though he didn’t raise his voice. “I recognized those petrels. One of them had a scar above its eye.â€
“How does a petrel get a scar like that??â€
“I put it there. Those aren’t petrels, they’re wave spirits, and they’re in the service of Rake Vashkar, weatherweaver of the Blood Storm.â€
Soon the storm began to clear, leaving with the petrels. Captain Pye went down below, and the crew hurried around, trying to clean up the mess left by the storm. Ren stood on the deck, shocked and sad. He had never even got a chance to meet Tam properly, and now he was dead- or captured by the Sanguiz Empire.
Tzil and Niria were asleep down below, tired out by their efforts to quell the storm. Captain Pye was doing who knows what in his cabin. Ren was alone.
Tam kept his head above water for as long as he could, and eventually the storm quieted. He floated on his back, watching petrels that shouldn’t be there flying above him. Every now and then one would seem to lose shape for a moment, only to resume the form of a petrel a little later. Tam’s head swam, and he realized his limbs were all numb. He wouldn’t survive much longer in this cold.
Then a ship loomed above him. Tam gave a weak yell and attempted to swim out of the way. His frozen legs would hardly obey him. Someone on the ship shouted something, and then down came a rope, whistling through the air from the very high deck of the ship. Tam grabbed it, and was hauled up onto the ship.
“What is it?†asked a voice, accompanied by hurried footsteps.
“Found a boy in the water, sir. ‘E’s half dead.â€
“A boy? Really?†The voice seemed much too interested, and not in a good way. “Where do you imagine he came from?â€
“I don’t know, sir. But he looks like pirate-kind to me.â€
“A pirate! Ah! Bring him to my cabin!â€
“Yes, Mr. Vashkar, sir,†said the seaman, and then Tam lost his senses, and heard no more.
Ren leaned over the edge of the ship, watching the waves from the storm get smaller and smaller, only creating small splashes now, and thinking of Tam’s inevitable death. He’d never liked Tam much, but he felt curiously alone now that he was gone. Suddenly there was a shout, and he turned around , almost tangling himself in a net crumpled up by his feet. Someone was standing on the quarterdeck, shouting.
“What in the name of -†Captain Pye stormed out of his cabin, but was stopped mid-step when he saw what was going on.
The ship’s Pukis, Marmalade, stood on the deck in dragon form, hissing furiously and spitting fire. Across from it lay a motionless stormy petrel.
Tzil, who seemed to have materialized from nowhere, strode over to the creature. He kicked Marmalade to the side, cursing under his breath. Marmalade spat a small ball of fire at him, then turned back into a kitten and ran over to Octavio Pye, who stroked her absentmindedly. “Tzil!!†he cried. “Is that…?â€
Tzil examined the bird, noting the red feather on its right wing and the scar over its left eye. “Yes, sir,†he replied. “It’s a wave spirit, all right.â€
Octavio nodded. “Bring it to my cabin. Where’s Niria?â€
“Here, sir,†announced the girl, seeming, like Tzil, to appear from nowhere.
“Good,†said the captain. He dislodged Marmalade from his shoulder and led the way into his cabin, followed by Niria. Tzil brought up the rear with the petrel-spirit.
Inside the cabin, Pye swept a pile of papers off his desk and motioned that Tzil should deposit the spirit there, which he proceeded to do, none too gently.
“Letor,†whispered Tzil, bending towards the spirit and prodding it with one long finger. “Letor! Wake up, I command you!â€
The petrel-spirit stirred, feebly waved one wing, and opened its eyes. Seeing Tzil, it suddenly made a frantic motion to get away. Papers fluttered to the floor.
“Where are they?†Tzil demanded, seizing Letor around the feathery body and shaking. Letor made a cry of pain.
Tzil shook him again. “Where are they taking the boy?â€
Letor attempted to twist his petrel features into a puzzled look and failed.
“I know they have him,†spat Tzil. “That’s why Vashkar sent the storm. He’s tried it before. Now where are they taking him?â€
Letor spoke for the first time. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.â€
“We’ve done battle before, Letor,†said Tam. “You left me for dead. I’ve no qualms about doing the same to you, only I won’t leave time to finish the job!†He tightened his grip. “You’re very small, bird. And very weak.â€
“Fine, fine! I’ll tell you!†gasped Letor. “They are going to Helean City, where Mordran is preparing for the fight of all Sphaere!â€
Octavio Pye swore. “I should have known they’d make a move,†he muttered to himself.
“The boy. Is there anything…different about him?†Tzil continued his interrogation.
“What…boy?â€
“The boy they’ve kidnapped! Tam Eizid! Who else?â€
Letor remained stubbornly silent. Tam’s hand moved to the long, sharp knife at his side.
“He’s bait,†said Letor quickly. “He’s a favorite of yours, isn’t he, Captain? You won’t just let him die, will you?â€
Niria, Tzil, and Octavio exchanged glances.
“We’ll have to dispose of the bird,†said Pye. “We can’t let him go back to Vashkar.â€
“I could kill him, sir,†said Tzil, a wild light in his eyes.
“Tzil,†said the captain warningly.
Niria stepped forward and murmured some words. Letor looked balefully at her. Niria smiled maliciously back.
“He can’t change shape now,†she said. “Or talk, for that matter. At least not until I release him.â€
“That’s good,†said Pye. “Tzil, you may put him in that cage.†He indicated a highly ornate golden birdcage hanging from a beam. “Now I can keep an eye on him.â€
Tzil obeyed, glaring, and sat down, at the Captain’s request.
“I don’t believe for one instant that story about Tam being bait,†said Niria. “No one can have any cause to believe that that boy is a favorite.â€
Octavio Pye shrugged again. “But it works,†he said. “We can’t let him die, and we can’t let the Empire keep him. So he does serve as bait, even if he serves another purpose as well.â€
“Do you think they know, then?†said Tzil.
“Of course they know. This isn’t the first time they’ve tried to kidnap him, remember.â€
“Well, what can we do?â€
“We’ll have to rescue him. But first,†added the Captain, stopping Niria, who was about to make an indignant observation. “First, we’ll refresh at Lithuslov. Our retreat from Hermetopolis was quicker than expected, and we need fresh water and fresh fruit. Lithuslov is only a day’s sail from here, and from there we can head to Helean City to rescue the boy.â€
This decision having been made, the stormmasters dispersed, and the captain bent himself to the task if gathering up the papers that had been spilled in the interview.
Tam woke in a dark room. It was a few minutes before he realized that his hands were tied to the sides of the hard, wooden chair he was sitting on. An alchemical lamp, a crystal globe filled with phlogiston, shone blindingly into his face. As a result, the features of the man sitting across from him were unclear. The voice, however, was anything but. It cut through his throbbing head like a knife.
“Hello, Tam Eizid.â€
“Who are you?†Tam rasped. “How do you know my name?â€
“My faithful spirits have been following the Sea Roc for several weeks. The only reason we haven’t attacked it is that we didn’t want to damage you. You are an extremely valuable young man, Eizid. Do you know of your powers?â€
Tam blinked and squinted, trying desperately to get a good look at the speaker. He did know of his powers, though he had tried to forget.
“Tell me, Tam. Are you happy aboard the Sea Roc?†“Tell me, Tam. Are you happy aboard the Sea Roc?â€
The boy hesitated. “No-ooo,†he said at last, “but I’m happier than I was before.â€
“I could get you a job aboard the Blood Storm. Any position, even first mate. Wages of up to ten aurums a day, luxurious lodgings- oh, anything you desire.â€
Tam snorted. It sounded like a good deal, but these things always did at first, and he wasn’t sure he trusted this silver-tongued stranger. “What’s the catch?â€
“We want you to do us a favor.â€
“What is that?â€
The man reached into a deep pocket and pulled out a small, golden globe, engraved with images of all the lands of Sphaere. It gleamed in the light from the phlogiston lamp, but also seemed to produce a more subtle light from within.
“We want you to use this orb in the service of Emperor Sanguinus IX.â€
“Ah…†said Tam. His head hurt, and he couldn’t think clearly. Everyone had told him not to trust the Empire, ever since he could remember. But… “Can I think about it?†he asked.
“Sure, sure… take as much time as you want…just remember the Blood Storm is waiting for you.†And with that the man stood and left the cabin.
Tam rested his head against the wall. It looked brand new, unlike the wood of the Sea Roc, which still held up well, but was starting to show signs of weathering, and always seemed damp. He did not trust the strange man, however intriguing his offer was. Something about his spirit and the Sea Roc…and the emperor.
Two years ago, Tam had stowed away on an exploring ship, heading out of Sphaere. Halfway across the Inner Sea, the Sea Roc had attacked them. Tam, who had remained hidden for weeks, was discovered by the first mate. Given the choice between death and a job aboard the pirate ship, Tam chose the obvious. He was made cabin boy, but was strangely unused to work, and that along with his strange manner had set the crew against him. But the pirates, even Octavio Pye, knew nothing of his past. Tam had managed to mostly forget it himself, too, and that was all that mattered.
Tam had been trained, in those two years, never to trust the emperor or any of his minions. Which was why he was reluctant to take the offer. But what would happen if he refused?
“Hello!†An imperious -and female- voice broke through his reverie. “Vashkar! Are you in there?â€
Tam said nothing, but tried to remember if he had ever heard the name Vashkar before.
“Vashkar!†repeated the voice. “I want to go swimming. You must warm up the water for me.†When there was still no reply, the owner of the voice marched into the cabin. “It’s awfully dark in here,†she complained, and another phlogiston lamp flared up.
“Oh!†said the girl. She was about Tam’s age, with brown hair down to her lower back, and her features were ominously familiar. The emperor’s features, but softer and more girlish.
“Who are you?†Tam asked, trying to leap to his feet, before remembering that he was tied to a chair.
“I could ask the same to you,†the girl hissed. “What are you doing in here? It’s PRIVATE. So leave.†She put her hands on her hips and looked much like Marmalade when she was disturbed from her rest.
“I’m in here because I don’t exactly have a choice,†said Tam. “And you?â€
“I’m here to keep all these stupid men in check and to stop them from caring for stowaways,†she snapped. “In other words, you.â€
“I’m not a stowaway!†said Tam hotly. “I’m a powder monkey!â€
“We already have fifteen of them. We don’t need another.â€
“I’m not a powder monkey here. On my ship.â€
“Well then, what are you doing here?â€
“I was washed overboard and this ship picked me up. Now leave me alone.â€
“What’s your ship’s name?†asked the girl.
“Why should I tell you?â€
“Because I am your superior. I am the fourth child of Emperor Sanguinus IX.â€
“Even less reason to tell you!†Tam shot back before he could stop himself. “Now leave me alone, for the last time.â€
“Even less…†mused the fourth child of Emperor Sanguinus IX. She looked at Tam suspiciously. “Who are you, exactly?â€
“Tam Eizid, cabin boy.â€
The imperial girl chewed one her long fingernails. As Tam was wondering how they stayed so long if she bit them, it grew a quarter of an inch. She saw him staring.
“I have alchemical talent.†It was most definitely a boast. It also seemed to get her off the track of wondering who he was. She held out her hand, and Tam took it gingerly. “I’m Tera,†she said.
“Hello, Tera,†said Tam, feeling slightly more confident. That was shattered as she added, “You, of course, will call me Princess.â€
The man who had been interrogating Tam walked in, his expression blank. “I’ve done it, Princess. The water around the ship is warmed up,†he said obsequiously. However, as he executed a slight bow, a sneer of utter contempt flickered across his face.
“Good,†said Tera and left without so much as a thank you.
The man – Vashkar – turned to Tam with a sigh. “And how do you like Her Imperial Highness?â€
Tam shook his head. “I don’t want the orb, and I don’t want this stupid power. This is worse than the Sea Roc. This is as bad as what came before…†A lone tear traced its way down his cheek.
“You are tired,†said Vashkar suavely. “You will no doubt feel differently after a rest. Come, I will lead you to your cabin.†Tam let himself be led like a child to a soft berth, where he immediately fell into a deep and welcome slumber.
Ren was summoned to the captain’s cabin several hours after the storm. Tzil, Niria, and Vushtek, the alchooktor, were standing or sitting around, and the entire picture was an extremely imposing one. The captain sat at his carved mahogany desk, flanked my Tzil and Niria, and rolling something small and shiny around in his hands. Papers littered the floor around the desk, and an ornate golden birdcage (inhabited by a sulky-looking stormy petrel) hung from a beam. Vushtek was sitting, looking unusually grave, on a spindly gilt chair that looked as though it could hardly support his weight.
“Sit down, Ren,†said the Captain, and Vushtek indicated a straight-backed wooden chair, which was the only other furniture in the cabin. Ren sat, wordlessly.
Octavio Pye settled his hat firmly on his head and leaned forward. “You remember,†he said, “when I told you that you had fire talent.â€
Ren nodded.
“And that there was only one other person that had the same talent.â€
He nodded again.
“That person is Tam Eizid.â€
“Is? Don’t you mean was?â€
“I said is, and I mean is. That storm wasn’t natural. It was sent by Rake Vashkar, the stormmaster of the Blood Storm, the flagship of the Imperial Navy.â€
“They’ve done this before,†said Niria. “Sent storms to carry away people that they want. They’ve even tried it with us, but they always failed.â€
“Until now,†said Ren.
“Yes, until now,†affirmed the Captain. “The Empire’s been dying to get their hands on Tam Eizid, and now they have him.â€
“But you’ve got me, sir,†said Ren. “So you’re even.â€
Vushtek snorted. “Not really,†said Octavio. “Because the Empire’s got something else, something we’ve been dying to get our hands on. They have this.†He held up the thing he had been holding: a small golden orb with pictures etched on it.
“This,†he said, “is the Orb of Centaur–more accurately, a replica of the Orb of Centaur. It can be used only by fire powerfuls, and it will double, triple, quadruple, increase to the power of one hundred, I’m not even sure, the power of the user.â€
Ren was staggered. “Oh,†was the most he could manage.
“Yes, oh. There is a catch, though.â€
“What’s the catch?†asked Ren.
“You mean besides the fact that the Empire has it and we don’t?†said Tzil bitterly. Octavio shot him a warning glance.
“Besides that,†Ren acknowledged.
“The Orb of Centaur is an extremely dangerous object, Ren,†said the Captain, gravely. “If we possessed it, we would never ask that you use it at intervals of less than a week, and only then for a few minutes at a time. Great things can be done with the orb, but it drains the strength of the user.â€
“Tam won’t last,†said Niria flatly. “Mordran will push him and push him until he dies from sheer exhaustion, and then they’ll come looking for you, Ren.â€
“But they don’t know about my powers!†said Ren, fighting against fear.
“They’ll know. Tam will tell them, if they don’t already suspect.â€
Terror welled up inside Ren. He gave a little moan and dropped his head onto his hands.
“That’s why we brought you here,†said Captain Pye. “To warn you of the danger. You must be extremely careful. Don’t go out of sight of one us–myself, Tzil, Vushtek, or Niria. Don’t draw attention to your powers.â€
Ren gave a shaky laugh. “Well, there’s one thing I can’t do. The only remarkable thing fire ever did around me was not kill me.â€
“That’s enough,†said Pye grimly.
Vushtek held up a hand. “I’d like as much as any of you to think we’re safe for a couple of weeks until Tam Eizid is dead–â€
“We’re not safe. What do you think Mordran is going to do first off when he has the Tam and the Orb together? Kill us.â€
“Ahh,†said Vushtek. “That was my point.â€
“Which is why we’re going to rescue Tam, as soon as we’ve got fresh water. And, if it’s possible, I think we should take the Orb as well.â€
This was acknowledged to be good sense, and it was arranged that Ren should spend the night in the sick berth, under the watchful eye of Vushtek, the alchooktor.
The next morning they sailed into Pukislyn, the biggest Free Port inside or outside of Sphaere. The Sea Roc dropped anchor in the harbor and most of the crew rowed to the quay. It had been decided that Ren would be safe enough on shore as long as he stayed close to Niria, Vushtek, or Octavio, and so he joined the people in the longboats, eager to set his feet on dry land and to get his first taste of the land beyond Hermetopolis. Tzil stayed behind with the watch to make sure Letor didn’t escape.
“It started out as a Pukis-pelt trading post,†Vushtek told Ren as they rowed in to the city, “but now that Pukises are in high demand as watchdogs and pets, people prefer to have a live Pukis than a dead one.â€
The city was twice as busy as Hermetopolis, though half the size, and nearly everyone was accompanied by a Pukis. Those that weren’t were wearing beautiful coats ranging in color from ivory touched with gold to a deep, fiery red, and given Vushtek’s earlier comment, it didn’t take a genius to deduce why these people didn’t have Pukises riding on their shoulders.
Marmalade dove and leapt through the crowd, touching noses with every other Pukis she met. In her excitement she couldn’t quite decide which form to stay in, so she was switching from dragon to kitten and back again every instant.
Ren laughed, because in watching the small creature twirl and dance he could, for a moment, forget about the grave danger he was in.
Unfortunately, the feeling didn’t last long.
While Ren laughed at Marmalade, he felt a weight settle on his shoulder. His mirth ceased abruptly. He looked up. A gold-orange Pukis sat there, in dragon form. A slight pressure against his legs made him look down, to see a trio of Pukises in cat form, two ivory and one flame-blue, rubbing against his ankles. “Oh, no,†he heard Captain Pye say, but the arrival of another of the creatures on his other shoulder, and one on his head, made it rather difficult to pay any attention to the world around him.
When every available place on Ren had been filled, the fire beings had to settle for trotting as close to him as possible, or flying around him. He couldn’t move a muscle. There was a brief scuffle on his head as Marmalade claimed her rightful throne. He knew the whole crowd was staring, though he couldn’t see past the sea of Pukises.
He could hear Captain Pye muttering curses, and Niria trying to disturb the Pukises with her water magic, and hostile mutterings from the crowd, and then a child shrieking, “Nina, Nina!†and his left shoulder became a little lighter for a moment, as the child pried a Pukis off it. But not for long. The Pukis, Nina, dug her claws deep into his shoulder, and he yelped in pain. “Go on, Nina!†he cried, but not really aloud, only in his head. With a purr that sounded almost like speech, the Pukis released her claws and let herself be cuddled by the little girl, who was staring at Ren as though he was some sort of–Pukis-napper.
But now Ren knew how to get them to leave him alone. He thought hard at them to leave, and one by one, they flew off, until Ren was left with the flame-blue one on one shoulder and Marmalade on the other.
Marmalade fluttered over to Captain Pye after a few minutes, leaving only the flame-blue one on his left shoulder. It refused to leave.
Come on! he silently pleaded, but the Pukis would not leave. Ren caught sight of a portly man with a Pukis-pelt scarf making his way towards them. He was holding an empty cage of what looked like solid water, made by a waveworker. The Pukis seemed to notice the man too, because it dug its claws deeper into Ren’s flesh.
Ah, so that’s how it is, Ren thought at the Pukis. Don’t worry; I’ll get you out of here.
The man with the Pukis-pelt scarf came towards Ren, who was watching him intently. Captain Pye seemed to be watching Ren, wondering what his next action was.
“Come here, Pooky, Pooky,†cooed the trapper. “Here girl.â€
The Pukis hissed and turned into its cat form.
The trapper looked at Ren. “Here, little boy. Bring her to me! She’s mine ya know!†the trapper said.
“No!†Ren yelled. His body was hot and tense. He was trembling with anger, and another, more overpowering sense of fear that he was almost positive was coming from the Pukis. Ren took off running. He heard the shouts of the trapper, Niria, and Captain Pye behind him, but he would not stop. He ran past people of every race and every size. Many of them passed him without noticing. He looked over his shoulder and saw the man running after him. The trapper was getting closer and closer. Ren could barely run anymore. He was about to collapse. The Pukis’ claws were digging hard into his shoulder. One thought came to his mind: flamulo podias–and he realized he had spoken aloud. Ren had no idea where that thought came from, or what it meant, but he suddenly stopped running. He turned around and the man was looking at his feet. They were on fire, but Ren felt no pain.
Ren watched the fire fearfully as it licked his ankles. The Pukis hissed alternately at the flames and the trapper, who was staring frozen at Ren’s feet. The little conflagration was gaining power, and now it was halfway up his calves. And now it hurt. Time seemed not to exist as he watched his lower body be consumed in fire.
Then the Pukis on his shoulder sprang into action. She scrambled down his shirt and puckered her lips, switching to dragon form as she did so. With a loud slurp, she inhaled the fire, ballooning out her cheeks. The trapper sprang away, but he wasn’t fast enough. With a loud sound like an alchemical explosion mixed with a massive belch, the Pukis spat a huge ball of bluish flame at her former master. The fat man’s white ponytail suddenly exploded into cinders, and he was left with a meager crop of thinning brown hair and several sooty marks on his face.
The Pukis shifted back into kitten form. Ren walked away with what he hoped was a jaunty, confident step, the soles of his feet screaming in pain as they touched his rough sandals.
As soon as he deemed the man far enough away, he sat down, pulled off his shoes, and examined his feet. They were badly blistered, but he might be able to make it back to the quay…if he could find it.
He sat down on the cold cobblestones and put his head in his hands. He had done everything he had been warned not to do. Don’t go out of sight, don’t draw attention to your powers… And now he was lost and alone, easy pickings for the Empire. A tear trickled down his face, and then more and more, hot and salty and stinging.
Suddenly a foreign thought touched his mind. He shrieked, leaping up and raising his fists in helpless self-defense, then wincing as his burned feet and ankles protested. The thought hit him again, and he drew a wary breath. Another small thought called out to him. “Who are you?†he snarled. He had heard of mind touching, of course–everyone had–but he had never expected it could be real. Now that it was, keeping his secret hidden would be more difficult than he had ever expected.
However, the next thought felt not harsh and threatening, like he expected, but almost gentle. But really, who would want to be gentle if they could read minds?
A sound like a crackling flame seared through his head and the soles of his feet began to throb worse than before. “Aaaaaargh!†he yelled. In a second, the feeling passed, but when he opened his eyes there sat the Pukis he had saved, the blue one with the shiny orange eyes, perched comfortably on his knees.
“Felt that, did you?†the voice purred, and finally Ren understood who the mysterious mind reader was.
“I do believe, that when your feet caught on fire, you were meant to run faster. Not stand there as if you were petrified,†the voice continued with a rumbling chuckle.
“How….†Ren protested.
“There is a water spirit in the vicinity,†the Pukis interrupted. “His essence chills me. I believe my old master is speaking with him. Over there!â€
The last thought switched from a gentle purr to a harsh yowl. Ren swiveled around just in time to overhear some of the conversation. “There is a water spirit in the vicinity,†the Pukis continued. “His essence chills me. I believe my old master is speaking with him. Over there!â€
The last thought switched from a gentle purr to a harsh yowl. Ren swiveled around just in time to overhear some of the conversation.
“…definitely had fire talent. Did you see how the Pukises were drawn to him?â€
“I did. Vashkar will be pleased. Mordran may even see fit to reward you.â€
The latter speaker was a mysterious figure in a blue cloak. Just as Ren tried to get closer, the figure exploded in a blast of freezing spray. A stormy petrel rose from the churning water and flew off to the East.
Ren felt as though his stomach was filled with sour milk. “They know,†he whispered.
“We have to get back to the Captain,-um- what should I call you?†said Ren.
“No need to be so loud,†thought the Pukis. “Call me…†Here it thought something unpronounceable.
“What!†Ren ejaculated, accidentally out loud. “Sorry,†he thought more quietly, “but I can’t possibly say that. Can I call you Elexis?â€
“I suppose,†the Pukis thought back. “Now, we must get you back to your Captain.â€
I know, thought Ren, but how? A thought came to his mind from the Pukis. “Use your power. Back there, when you scared away my owner, you used some. Try it now.â€
“But how?†Ren asked again.
“You mustn’t focus on using your powers yet. If you do that when you have no control, they will not work. Just let them come to you.†So Ren sat there at the bench, trying to forget the pain in his legs and watching the ships go by.
After about an hour, he stood up, winced, sat down again, and glared at the Pukis. “This isn’t working!†he exclaimed.
“Be patient,†said the Pukis. “Later, you will learn how to use your powers in the here and now, but this is not the right time.â€
So Ren sulked for about another half hour, but finally something came to his mind. Flamulo helioso, were the words, and he dutifully repeated them. As if it were a reflex, Ren closed his eyes, and spread out his arms. He had no control over this, and when he tried to put his arms down, they sprung up again. He felt some heat on his arms, and when he finally opened his eyes, his arms were on fire. The Pukis was flying next to him. Ren looked down: they were a good 50 feet above the island. Ren saw the harbor, and the distant figure of the Sea Roc bobbing up and down on the slight waves and then glanced over at the Pukis, who was flying with him. “Quick! Go before the fire begins to burn you!â€
Ren flapped his arms, laughing, and dove towards the ship like a falcon, landing with a thump on the deck and gasping at the pain of the impact on his tender legs. The fire on his arms sputtered and spat and then went out.
Tzil, who was standing on the quarterdeck, looking out across the harbor, turned at the sound. His eyes widened when he saw the Pukis, but he recollected himself and beckoned to a man–his face seemed familiar, but Ren couldn’t think of the corresponding name. “Go find the Captain and tell him we’ve found the boy,†Tzil commanded, and the man nodded and started off. “Tell him to bring the alchooktor!†Tzil added. The man touched his hat, climbed over the side and into a waiting boat, and was gone.
“Well,†said Tzil. “You’ve made a pretty mess of things. Half the Pukises in the city flying off without rhyme nor reason to go sit on your head–mysterious rumors of flaming boys–every crew member who can be trusted not to blab out looking for you, and wave spirits around every corner–I always knew trouble would come of this.â€
Ren gaped. He knew he’d made a spectacle–though he hadn’t meant to–but he’d never expected it would grow so huge so fast.
“What in Sphaere have you done, boy?†Octavio Pye came tearing over the side of the ship, seized Ren by the shoulder, and dragged him unceremoniously into the cabin, where he pushed him onto a chair and then proceeded to fly into a towering rage, while Tzil looked on from the doorway and Vushtek waited calmly for the Captain to finish. Ren nodded at the appropriate times and looked dutifully ashamed, but he couldn’t concentrate. His thoughts kept drifting off to join Elexis’s, and every time, she would prod him back into focusing on the Captain. Even so, he hardly heard a single word from Octavio Pye until the berating ceased abruptly.
“What?†asked Ren, startled out of his reverie.
“Your legs!†said Octavio Pye, aghast.
“What? Oh.†Ren looked down at his legs. His pants were burnt up to the knee, and what of his legs was visible was an angry red color. “It doesn’t hurt that much,†he lied.
“Vushtek,†said the Captain despairingly. “Deal with him. Tzil, we’ll sail at sunset.â€
Ren obediently followed Vushtek to the sick berth, where he had spent the previous night, and allowed the achooktor to smear ointment on the blisters and bandage them. He watched docilely as Vushtek banged and cursed in his search for bandages. “Bandages for burns,†he told Ren as he wound slightly salty cloths around the boy’s legs, “should be clean and dry. Unfortunately, when you live on a ship, nothing is clean and dry, not even the bandages. I see you’ve picked up a friend,†he added, nodding at Elexis, who had been perched on Ren’s shoulder for the past half an hour.
“Oh, yes,†said Ren. “Her name’s Elexis.â€
Vushtek raised one dark bushy eyebrow but said nothing until he had finished tying the bandage. “You’d best lie down for now,†he said. “It’s no good walking on those feet, not for a while yet.
Ren allowed Vushtek to help him into a hammock, and Elexis curled around his neck in cat form, purring faint, smoky purrs. Ren smiled, feeling small and childish and taken-care-of. It was a sensation he hadn’t felt in years, certainly not since his uncle had died. He fell asleep thinking of home.
“Wake up, boy!†the voice of Octavio Pye said, searing through Ren’s dreams. The powder monkey sat up with a start, and the hammock rocked wildly.
“Now,†said the Krakeneater, looking particularly fierce. “I want you to tell me exactly what happened to you. Don’t leave anything out. And I’m especially interested in learning how you came upon THIS.†With his last word he yanked the furry figure of Elexis from behind his back and waved her in front of Ren’s face. “Do you want Marmalade to be so jealous that she burns our entire ship into the sea?â€
“Marmalade wouldn’t do that!†Ren was shocked.
“She most certainly would,†said Captain Pye grimly. “She’s had a hand in sinking most of the ships we ever pirated, and she could certainly sink this one.â€
Elexis sank her teeth into Captain Pye’s hand and jumped onto Ren’s lap, hissing.
“Alright,†said Ren slowly. “I’ll tell you the whole story.†And so he did, starting with the Pukis trapper, and ending with the fact that he could speak to Elexis.
“That’s very well and good, Ren,†said Octavio, “but if you’re going to use your powers, you need to use them with good judgment. According to all the old literature, a fire powerful carries more magic than an alchemist or a stormmaster could hold, and if it’s misused you could virtually destroy Sphaere, or the Inner Sea at the very least.â€
Ren stared, incredulous. Suddenly his head snapped back with a jerk. Elexis looked into his eyes innocently.
“Sheesh, get a grip on yourself,†she thought calmly, only half joking. “You need to stop acting so surprised every 3 seconds when you learn about yet another of your powers. Considering how many more there are to come…â€
“What!?†Ren said, shocked. “I have more?â€
“What?†The captain looked bemused.
“Nothing.â€
“Are you sure? You’re talking to yourself.â€
“I’m talking to Elexis,†said Ren.
“Ah. About Elexis. We’re going to have to work something out with her and Marmalade. I understand that she’ll have to stay on the ship, but I’d rather that we continue to have a ship to stay on.â€
“Perhaps we could talk it out,†suggested Elexis.
“Maybe they could, um, talk to each other about it,†repeated Ren. The captain looked faintly disbelieving. Ren shrugged helplessly. “It was her idea.â€
Captain Pye shook his head, but Ren thought he saw the corner of the Krakeneater’s mouth twitch as he stood and stalked away. Elexis stayed only long enough to give Ren a feline wink and then sauntered off after the Captain.
Everything from here on is unedited:
He heard a rush of wind, and a very small, bright fire appeared a few feet away, hovering less than half an inch above the floor. “Did I start it?†he asked himself. Perhaps this was the beginning of the end. Maybe he had misused his power already, and Sphaere was doomed.
The fire grew bigger and bigger, and Ren, with a nightmare passivity, watched it grow larger, closer, brighter. Soon it would reach his hammock, and then him and – Ren couldn’t think about that. He closed his eyes tightly. Nothing happened, but an odd sensation came over him. He tried to cry out and failed. He opened his eyes to see images moving around him and heard voices. The images cleared away, and he was standing on a gray ship. No one took notice of him except for a boy swabbing the decks next to him. “I know you,†the boy muttered to himself. “Who…Ren?â€
Ren suddenly knew who the boy was. “Tam,†he breathed.
Captain Pye found Ren lying on the floor next to his hammock. He was asleep or in a trance, and appeared to be holding a conversation with a voice unheard.
Rake Vashkar looked at Tam. He was kneeling on the deck, a holystone in his hand and a bucket by his side. But he wasn’t scrubbing the deck. He was talking.
“Where is this?†asked Ren.
“The Blood Storm,†replied Tam. “Well, not really. I’m not sure where we are. I was on the Blood Storm, a minute ago.â€
“Did you set something on fire?â€
“Me? No. Why?â€
Ren took a breath. “Did you know you have fire power, Tam?â€
“How do you know about that?â€
“Because I do too. I set my legs on fire. See?†He gestured to his blistered calves.
“Ouch,†said Tam sympathetically.
Ren frowned. Something had occurred to him. “You do know about your talent. Captain said you didn’t.â€
“The Blood Storm’s weatherweaver told me about it. He wants me to use some orb. He’s paying me an awful lot.â€
“Oh, no,†moaned Ren. But then the grayness that surrounded him and Tam closed in, bringing with it all the previous images. He cried out, and woke.
As the gray mist faded and Tam came to himself, he found he was still sitting on the deck. His first thought was, what in Sphaere just happened?
His next thought was, I’m scrubbing the deck. What about all those fancy positions I was promised? But of course, he would only get a good position if he promise to work that orb. It was tempting, that was for sure.
Very tempting, in fact. Tam looked down at the holystone in his hand, and the vast expanse of deck that he was supposed to scrub. If he just accepted the offer, he would never have to do this again.
At any rate, what had the Empire ever done to harm him? Just because the pirates hated Sanguinus IX didn’t mean he had to. And what the Emperor did couldn’t be any worse than what the pirates did. Could it?
Never scrub the deck again… Any position, even first mate… Wages of up to ten aurums a day…
His mind was made up. Tam stood up purposefully and walked across the deck towards Rake Vashkar, who was talking angrily to a sunburned sailor. Tam summoned up his courage.
“I will use the Orb,†he said.
Captain Pye’s face blurred into focus slowly, like water clearing after mud has been stirred up. “What happened, boy?†cried the Captain.
“They know!†Ren said urgently. “They’ve told him!â€
“Told who? Who told him? Told him what?â€
Ren sat up. “Vashkar told Tam, that he has fire powers. That means they know about it, which means that Tam isn’t safe no matter what he does.â€
The Captain swore. “At least they don’t know about you.â€
“Well, actually… â€
“WHAT, boy? Speak up.â€
“That Pukis trapper told a disguised wave spirit that I had fire talent. The spirit mentioned Vashkar and Mordran.â€
Pye cursed. Fumbling through his pockets, he pulled out an object that looked like a dried kraken tentacle. Gnawing convulsively on it, Captain Pye paced the deck, muttering “Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.â€
Ren said nothing. He could see that it was a much larger dilemma than he could comprehend.
“Why is this such a problem, sir?†Ren asked. “I mean, they won’t need me until Tam can’t…†he realized what he was saying and broke off, guiltily. “And I’m sure we’ll have rescued Tam before he can really do any harm,†he amended hastily.
“Well…†the Captain hesitated. “There are two things they might do. They may try to capture you now so that when Tam dies, you can take over immediately, or they may combine your powers and gamble on not needing you after you have done your work.â€
“Combine our powers?â€
“Yes. Your powers merged, and with the globe, will make you two more powerful than anyone in Sphaere, except for the Unknowables.â€
The Unknowables? Ren thought. What are those? Ren wanted to ask, but knew it was not the right time. Perhaps, later he would.
The captain and Ren were quiet for a long time, but Ren finally perked up. He said, in his most confident voice, “We must get Tam back, and we will.â€
The Captain sighed. “I admire your confidence, Ren, but it may be too late.â€
Back on the Blood Storm, Vashkar was ecstatic. “This is wonderful news, Tam. I’m glad you saw our- †He broke off, staring upward at a stormy petrel hovering above the topsail. It uttered a series of harsh croaks, and the stormmaster’s expression changed.
“They have another person with fire talent aboard the Sea Roc. Well, we can turn that to our advantage. Contact this person and tell him that you are being held captive aboard the Blood Storm at the Free Isle of Kievl. We’ll trap them there.â€
“Contact him, sir?†Tam said.
“Through fire scrying. Like you did a few hours ago, before you passed out. Surely you know how?â€
Tam looked away to hide his fear. He had no idea how Ren and him had contacted each other before. Anything was better than angering Vashkar, though, so he lied, “Of course I do. Why wouldn’t I?â€
“Very good,†said Rake, and with that he walked away, leaving Tam to try and contact Ren by himself. He went down to his cabin, feeling sick.
Tam sat down on his bunk. This was the worst thing that had ever happened to him. Well, maybe not the worst… He shook his head sharply to clear that thought away and turned his, mind to something else. It had been a mistake to agree to the terms of the stormmaster. He could see that now. And yet, the thought of power beckoned him. As first mate, no one would dare to mock him. He had better try the fire scrying. Tam rolled onto his stomach and tried to remember what he had been thinking about when he had gone into a trance.
As Tam concentrated, he began to feel strangely hot around his extremities. I wonder if I’m getting a fever, he thought. Then he realized that, whatever was happening, it was not normal.
There was a loud, muffled fump, as though an alchemical cannon had gone off behind heavy doors. A small ball of white-hot flame hit the floor in front of him. At first, it was nebulous, flinging out small shreds of fire. Tam concentrated, willing it to help him contact Ren. To his surprise, it did, shrinking to a pinprick before vanishing in a burst of light that momentarily blinded him.
As Tam blinked away dazzling sunbursts of color, he saw that he was in the mysterious gray space that he had been in once before. Ren was standing in front of him, wearing a startled expression.
Tam quickly gabbled out what he was supposed to say. “I’m on the Blood Storm, berthed at the Isle of Kievl. Tell Captain Pye to send help- or, better yet, come himself!â€
Ren passed on the message, along with the fact that Tam had looked rather surprised and scared, spoken quickly, and broke contact as soon as he had finished talking, or sooner.
Captain Pye gnawed another kraken tentacle- unless it was the same one, Ren couldn’t be sure and didn’t know how tough kraken tentacles were- and thought about this.
Finally he heaved a great sigh and stood up. “We must rescue Tam. But I’ve got a bad feeling about this.â€
“Why?†asked Ren.
“I don’t know, boy, I don’t know. It just…†he trailed off. Ren waited patiently for five long minutes before Pye spoke again. “Tam’s an odd one, and I don’t understand him. Certainly not when I can’t look him in the face.†And having delivered that uninformative and puzzling message, he left the cabin.
Three days later they reached the Isle of Kievl. The Captain was unnaturally edgy, and Ren was nervous too. He had tried to contact Tam, but the older boy hadn’t spoken to him, and had cut off the scrying as quickly as he could. It was probably just Tam’s captors making life unpleasant, he reassured himself.
Ren stood on deck, watching the jolly boats being lowered into the water. The Isle of Kievl was another of those “uninhabited†isles, but, in contrast to Lithuslov, it was practically empty. There were a few tiny villages and a port about half the size of Pukislyn, but nothing really big.
Tam felt a surge of guilt as he saw the Sea Roc come into harbor. He had tried to minimize the guilt and anxiety by not speaking to Ren, half-hoping that if he refused communication Ren would know it was a trap. But it hadn’t worked, as was clear from the trusting way Ren tried to contact. “We’ll rescue you, Tam,†he had said only an hour or so ago. “Don’t worry.â€
“Oh, forget it,†Tam told himself now. “It’s not as though you owe them anything. Any rate, you have to take the chance you get.†He was beginning to wish he wasn’t the bait, and that he could go down into his cabin and curl up on the bunk and not come out until they were very far away. But that wasn’t going to happen, was it?
The crew of the Sea Roc brought it into the harbor and hung it into the shore. They let down the jolly boats and started making there way towards shore. Tam, shaking, put his hands behind the back, sending the first signal: Get ready.
The crew of the Sea Roc were on the shore now, getting out of their boats, and looking around at the island. Tam jumped up: Weapon set. Captain Pye told the crew to stay there, and he and Ren walked towards Tam nervously, as if they were expecting something to jump out at them. How right they are, Tam thought.
Captain Pye and Ren were only about three feet away from him now. He lifted up his hands, causing looks of confusion on the captain’s face, and dropped them: ATTACK! was the signal.
A loud cry from the woods, and then more yells, and then sailors came running at Ren. One advanced towards Ren, swinging his wooden stick, and Ren heard Tam yell, and Captain Pye shout, “Retreat to the east!†and then everything went black.
When Ren woke up, Captain Pye and Tam were standing over him, worry knit in their eyebrows. Captain Pye was the first to speak. “We were able to keep you and Tam safe,†he said, “but they took our boats and killed twelve of our thirty men.â€
“I’m sorry, Ren,†Tam said sadly.
“Oh, right,†said Ren bitterly. “I sure believe that. You could have at least hinted it was a trap, if you were too scared-†he spat the word out as though it were a wind-beetle- “to actually say outright.â€
“I did!†cried Tam. “Why do you think I wouldn’t talk?â€
“Boys,†said Captain Pye, breaking up what might have become a verbal fight, if not a physical one. “You can quarrel later; right now we have to think about escaping.â€
“Escaping? You mean we’re prisoners?â€
“Yes. But at least we’re not dead,†said Captain Pye.
“Where are we?†asked Ren, sitting up.
“We’re on the Isle of Kievl, in a stockade guarded by twenty-five warriors. We have to think of an escape plan.â€
“Not me,†said Tam quietly. “I already made my choice. I’m going to work the Orb of Centaur for them. You could too, Ren. We could work it together, and live in the utmost comfort. It would be a wonderful life.†He looked hopeful, until Ren shook his head.
“Have you any idea what the Orb does to you, Tam? It’ll kill you if you work it!â€
Ren looked around the stockade. Most of the crew members he’d met were still there. Vushtek di Fundermuult was lying on the ground, barely conscious, with a bloody rag wrapped around his arm. Niria Tolmark was hunched over in the corner, face buried in her hands, body shaking with sobs. Tzil Azuro was just coming round, staggering to his feet.
Tzil’s eyes rolled wildly, then focused on Tam. “You!†he roared. “Traitor!â€
Ignoring Captain Pye’s alarmed cry, he snatched up a blazing phlogiston lamp from its alcove in the wall and hurled it straight at Tam’s chest.
Tam ducked, but although it missed his chest, it caught his hair on fire. Captain Pye whipped off his cap and used it to smother the flames.
“Tzil! What do you think you’re doing?â€
“Getting rid of a traitor,†the haggard stormmaster hissed.
“I will not permit this! The boy is under my protection.â€
“He forfeited his right to that protection when he betrayed us all!†Something in Tzil seemed to snap. He pulled out his knife.
Then the door opened. The appearance of the man standing in the doorway did nothing to advertise the fact that he was one of the most feared men in all of Sphaere. He had an almost apologetic look on his pale face, and he wore gold-rimmed half-moon glasses. He was wearing a white robe that would have been dangerously fashionable about two centuries before, and he was short. The overall effect was that of a scholar who’d gotten lost and was politely asking directions.
Still, Ren couldn’t help but notice the long, razor-sharp rapier hanging from his belt.
“Mordran,†Vushtek spat.
“Yes, the very same,†said the man. He peered around as though he was nearsighted, but Ren had the distinct impression that the glasses were for show, as was most of his outfit.
Whatever had made Tzil throw that lamp at Tam only snapped more when Mordran came in. Tzil raised his dagger and ran at Mordran. Mordran simply stepped aside as if nothing had happened and spoke calmly and quietly, almost in a whisper.
“I need the boys now,†he said.
“No. I will not let them go,†Captain Pye replied. Ren could not tell how he felt, his expression strange.
“Oh, I am afraid that you do not have a choice. They work the Orb, or I make them work it.†Mordran tapped at his head, although neither Tam nor Ren could tell what this meant. He went on: “My power has increased-only slightly, but enough for me to take them.â€
Niria looked up at this, but still avoided everyone’s eyes. “Jarbun magic,†she said under her breath. Then she yelled, “What have you done to the Unknowables?â€
“What’s she talking about?†said Ren. Captain Pye only shook his head, and Tam looked stricken.
“You needn’t take me,†said Tam hastily, stepping forward with a frightened expression. “I’ll go of my own accord.â€
Ren felt put out. Everyone seemed to know about this but him. Nonetheless, he wasn’t going to work for Mordran. He would avoid it at all costs.
As a matter of fact, Tam knew a good deal less than Ren thought. At the mention of the Unknowables, however, he knew enough. He was not going to go through that again. It didn’t matter whether Mordran had killed them (they couldn’t die, he was almost certain), or taken their powers, but if Mordran was strong enough to do something to them where even Tam could not, Tam was not going to get on his bad side.
“I did nothing to them,†said Mordran, barely acknowledging Tam. “Nothing permanent, at any rate. They will recover their powers sometime in the next fifty years. Not so very long to them, but long enough to prevent them rescuing your lot.â€
“What are the Unknowables?†asked Ren, and once more he was ignored.
Mordran grinned. “Come with me, both of you.â€
Ren stood his ground, though he was shaking like a dry leaf. “No.â€
“Come on,†Tam implored. “There’s no way to refuse him, and if you resist, he’ll just hurt you.â€
“Your colleague is a lot smarter than you are,†Mordran said to Ren. “I’ll give you one last chance.â€
“No,†Ren said, in a barely audible whisper.
A bolt of pain stabbed through his temples like a red hot bar of iron. He was irresistibly dragged toward the door.
“Blast!†Captain Pye exclaimed, and leaped at Mordran, pulling out an ornate flintlock. Mordran snarled in fury and gestured once. A spurt of green flame consumed the pistol, and Octavio Pye was hurled back ten feet. He hit the wall and lay still.
But Ren was temporarily free, and he was near the door. Shoving Tam aside, he leaped out the doorway. In midair, he yelled “Flamulo Helioso!â€
Two crossbow bolts whizzed past him, but he was ascending rapidly, and soon the guards running about below him became only specks.
Ren landed on a high pinnacle of rock just as the fire blazing on his arms went out. Now, he thought, to find a way to rescue the rest of the crew.
Ren had never been particularly good at making plans. He was as good at executing them as anyone, but he lacked the talent for making them. Now he sat on the rock till the sun went down, blazing red over the ocean, but he still could think of nothing.
I can’t go to sleep, Ren thought. He was tired after staying up all night, but couldn’t go to sleep until he had a plan. But he was so tired. Maybe if he just closed his eyes for a few minutes. He was about to fall into deep sleep when suddenly, a voice appeared in his head. Was it his voice? No, Ren realized, it was a female. Ren was sure he had never heard this voice before, yet it sounded oddly familiar… Ren? Is that you? the voice said.
Yes. It is me, Ren replied.
Oh, splendid. I hoped I had contacted you and not that awful Mordran. He better not be overhearing us.
Ren was excited now, but scared at the same time. His eyes widened. He knew who this was.
Alexis? Is that you?
Yes, it is.
We need to rescue Captain Pye and the crew of the Sea Roc, thought Ren. And Tam.
Alexis made a disapproving thought. Ren, Tam may be too far gone to rescue. He is too frightened of the Unknowables to disobey Mordran.
What are the Unknowables? asked Ren. Finally, he would get some answers!
The Unknowables are gods, said Alexis after a long pause. She seemed reluctant to say more, but Ren was not going to let her get away without telling him everything.
They can’t be gods! he thought in disbelief. There are no temples to them, nothing! I didn’t even know about them till the other day!
The Empire banned them. No one was allowed to worship them, and slowly the people forgot. Only a few people still know of them. Tam is one.
But why? And how does he know? And how do you know that?
Alexis did not reply.
Alexis, please tell me! Ren begged.
Nothing.
At least tell me where you are, Ren pleaded.
Look up, she replied.
Ren did as he was told, and lo and behold, there was Alexis, softly flapping her dragon wings, and with her were… Ren gasped. Are those your children?
Yes, she replied, unhappily.
What is wrong?
Out of thirty eggs, only these three survived. The rest were caught by poachers and sent to incubation to be brought up and killed for their fur. Her voice was dripping with anger now.
I’m sorry, said Ren lamely.
Alexis sent a small thought of acknowledgement. That story can be told later. Right now, I have a plan.
We need a sail, Alexis said.
“Over there,†Ren said, though he was confused as to the plan. “On the Blood Storm.â€
The Pukises, already in dragon form, flew down to the ship and sliced off the topsail in short order. Returning it to the rock, Alexis explained.
You’ll hold on to these corner ropes, and we’ll get up to our hottest while flying right under the sail. The hot air will buoy you up. Try to jump in the general direction of the guarded compound where your friends are. You’ll be high enough that the guards won’t see you. When we get right over it, we’ll cool down and burn a hole in the roof. The sail will act as a parachute, you’ll drop down into the room, your friends will grab hold of the lines, and- Do you have a stormmaster?
“Yes.â€
Good. Then he’ll blow us back to the Sea Roc, and we’ll sail off.
Ren seized the lines, hoping he wasn’t making a huge mistake. The Pukises flared up, and the sail ballooned out. But Ren didn’t lift off.
Alexis closed her eyes, and a cloud of blue flame enveloped her. I’m pushing myself as far as I can. Go!
This time Ren was hauled a little into the air, with an effort that neither Alexis nor Ren seemed to enjoy. The lines cut into his hands, and the flame of the Pukises seemed frighteningly near. He took a deep breath, made a hurried prayer to no one in particular, and jumped.
For a minute Ren watched in terror as the ground grew larger and nearer at an unexpected rate, but then the heat on his hair grew stronger and he nearly cried out, but he was going up.
He didn’t know how long he could stand this. His arms felt like they were being pulled out of their sockets and he could feel the flame leaning towards him hungrily, despite the Pukis’ attempts to control it.
Then they were above the compound. A crossbow bolt shot upward and almost punctured the canvas, but missed by inches. The Pukises stopped blazing and flew down below Ren, blowing fireballs at the roof. At first, the thatch burned merrily, but then a large timber cracked, and the ceiling fell in just as Ren landed with a thump.
The pirates were much as before, with the exception of Tam and Tzil, both of which had disappeared. Captain Pye was pacing the floor in agitation, but stopped dead when Ren fell though the roof in a bundle of sail and Pukises.
The roof smoldered and blazed above. The pirates looked from it, to Ren, and back at the burning straw and wood again. Ren disentangled himself sail, stood up, and bowed shakily.
“Ren!†exclaimed Captain Pye. “How in Sphaere did you get away?â€
“I flew,†said Ren. “Where’s Tzil?â€
“Tzil?†said Pye. “I don’t – oh no.â€
He raced outside, with Ren on his heels to find Tam backed up against the boards of the stockade, desperately trying to fight off a maddened Tzil, who was snarling and pressing his long knife to Tam’s throat. Tam spied Captain Pye and Ren and screamed to them. “Help!â€
They raced to his aid, but before they could reach Tam, Tzil suddenly changed tact and plunged his blade into Tam’s chest.
Ren stopped dead.
“Finally, we are rid of that traitor!†roared Tzil in triumph. Then he realized what he had done, and froze. The look of shock on Tam’s face turned to one of rage, and eldritch fire began flowing up the knife in his chest, which Tzil was still grasping. The fire wrapped itself around Tzil’s arm as he struggled to break free, using his own power of try to ward it off, but to no avail. Suddenly a huge fireball engulfed his thrashing body and he flew up in the air, finally ripping his dagger from Tam’s chest as he ascended ablaze. Lighting overwhelmed the airborne inferno and drew the hardly recognizable form of Tzil into the clouds, where all stormmasters are taken by their element to die. The long dagger carried by Tzil in life quivered upright in the dirt. His eyes rolling back in his head, Tam collapsed on the ground.
Pye rushed to the boy’s side, but Ren stood frozen, staring at the unconscious Tam. It seemed all-wrong somehow. Sure, Tam had made a bargain with the Empire, sure, he was a traitor, sure, he no longer belonged to the pirates, but still! Ren couldn’t believe that Tzil had just…killed him. Just like that. And why hadn’t the guards come to Tam’s aid when they heard his call for help?
A thought came to Ren’s mind. He frowned, puzzled. It wasn’t a fire word, but it felt powerful even so. He spoke it softly, under his breath, and felt his mouth grow hot. He breathed deeply but quickly, and found that a light was shining out of his mouth, a flaming, purple, fiery light.
He felt eyes staring at him, and, as if in a trance, he moved his own fingers into the flame. It didn’t burn. On the contrary, as he watched, the myriad small cuts and scars on his hands closed up, vanished without a trace. He walked towards Tam, suddenly realizing what the fire did.
“REN!†Captain Pye yelled. “What in Sphaere are you doing?â€
Ren did not reply. His mouth was full of fire, and his fingertips crackled with dancing, flickering, flames.
“Ren, you idiot!†screamed Pye. “It’ll kill you! It’ll kill him!†But his warning came too late, as the fire vanished in a shower of sparks. Tam looked no different than before, and slowly Ren sat down on the hard ground with his back against the stockade. He saw Alexis fluttering above him in dragon form, and Captain Pye looking aghast, and then he lay his head down on his knees, and fell into a deep, unnatural sleep.
Mordran sat down in the wooden-and-gilt chair that was provided for him, breathing heavily. However Ren felt, Mordran felt ten times worse. It wasn’t easy, channeling the powers of a god through yourself and into another. Especially when the other was so far away. But it had worked, the man was sure of it. Even if the first boy never recovered, the second was helpless. Mordran must give the order now, before the shock of such power had worn off. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out an item resembling a silver bell. He shook it, and a single, high-pitched, note resounded through the room. When it had faded, all was quiet. Then, and only then, did Mordran allow himself to sleep.
Octavio Pye watched as Ren’s eyes closed, and he slipped into oblivion. It was a magic-induced sleep, the Captain knew. He had seen enough of them, having two weatherweavers on his ship. But he had never seen anything like the magic that Ren had just performed. The fire consuming the boy, only to vanish as suddenly as it had come, without even the slightest traces left. No ash, no burns on Ren or Tam-nothing. But then again, he reminded himself. What did he know? He had no elemental talent at all, so who was he to judge whether something was going wrong or not?
He turned his attention back on Tam, who looked exactly as before. Ah well. Unfathomable talent or not, the boys were more than mere tools, and it would do them no good to be soaked in the storm that he felt tingling over the horizon. Pye turned to the hut, in front of which the remainder of the crew of the Sea Roc was standing, awed at the spectacle.
“Let’s get the boys inside,†said Pye. “It looks like it might rain.â€
Moments later the rain came down heavy on the roof. Captain Pye and Vushtek crouched over the boys, inspecting Tam’s wound. It was only a physical wound, not a magical wound, thank goodness, so it would heal in time. But in his current state he wasn’t in any shape to tell them exactly what he’d been doing for the past four or five days. Too, bad, really, Pye thought.
“There is nothing we can do about Tzil,†said Vushtek to Niria. “He is dead.â€
“Perhaps,†replied Niria calmly, and the others relaxed. Niria Tolmark was still young, not yet hardened by a life of piracy, and no one was sure how she would take the death of her fellow stormmaster. “It is not Tzil I worry about,†she continued. “It is them.†She jerked her chin toward first Ren, and then Tam, lying on the two hard bunks. “That wasn’t natural, what Ren did.â€
“He isn’t natural,†Captain Pye informed her. “Not to us.â€
“I suppose not,†she sighed. “I know nothing of fire.â€
This conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a smug-looking Mordran, who bowed smoothly and said, “I have decided to let you go free.â€
There was a stunned and mistrustful silence, and then Pye said, “And the boys?â€
“The boys as well. Your ship is in the harbor still; she is unharmed. Now go.â€
They did not have to be told twice.
Hours later, after everybody but Tam and he had left the cabin where they now lay, Ren shifted restlessly in his sleep. His dreams were uneasy. He kept seeing a fire, burning, burning, burning his skin, burning away his strength. He tried as hard as he could, but he couldn’t scream.
Then, right before the flames consumed him, the vision changed. Ren suddenly found himself sitting on a cold floor in what looked a lot like a dungeon. On impulse, he tried to stand, but quickly realized that he was held down by shadow-like chains.
“No!†A scream filled the room.
Ren looked up abruptly and saw Tam rolling around in agony on the damp dungeon floor.
“What have I done to you?! Why do I deserve such agony?! Please! No!†Tam screamed again.
“Tam!†Ren yelled. “Stop it!â€
The other boy shuddered and ceased his thrashing. Ren sat there for what felt like hours, watching Tam sleep. He kept trying to tell himself that this was all a dream, but the longer he remained in the dark room his doubts continued to grow.
Tam stirred. A yawn escaped his lips and he sat up.
“Where . . . where are we?†Tam asked.
“You,†answered a sinister voice,†are in my mind cells. Nice, aren’t they?â€
Mordran strode confidently into the room.
“This entire facility, including myself, is an illusion, it only takes place in your mind, but it is very effective as a prison.â€
The two boys gazed at Mordran, clearly uncomprehending.
Mordran smiled nastily in return. †You will remain here until you give me what I want: your allegiance.â€
With that, Mordran stalked away, fading as he walked. The faint stench of rot lingered in the room.
Tam’s eyes widened in panic. “What are we going to do?†he gasped.
“I don’t want to be his servant!†Ren added. He glanced around the small room, if you could even call it a room. Was it just his imagination, or was it growing more revolting? The rotting smell that he had noticed came from the rotting flesh of a body in the chamber that surely had no been there a minute ago, and the smell was growing stronger.
“I already agreed to work the Orb,†said Tam desperately. “I’ll do anything, if I could just get out of here!†Tam seemed to be immobile, staring into space at something invisible. “I don’t want to die! I don’t want anybody to die while he tries to get to me!â€
“Tam, that’s very noble, but think of all the people that would die if he was able to use the Orb!â€
“I don’t care!†Tam’s face had grown very white, and his hands were making the chains shake.
The noise only added to Ren’s growing sense of claustrophobia and despair. He wanted to stop the noise, stop the smell, stop everything but his own mind, and think. He reached out to slap the older boy, but his own chains would not allow it. The smell was becoming a thick, impenetrable fog, and Tam moaned on. Finally Ren snapped. “SHUT UP!†he yelled. “Let me think!â€
“Oh no, dear boy. You cannot think here,†said Mordran’s voice from somewhere inside the depths of the room – his own mind, Ren realized. He felt betrayed. How could his own mind have come up with something so awful? But of course it hadn’t. This was Mordran’s invention, and Ren could do nothing but watch.
So watch he did. He watched Tam grow more and more frightened, more and more willing to serve Mordran in exchange for release from this prison, and he watched the chains crumble until finally they gave way all together and Tam fainted.
“There,†said Mordran, entering the room again. “Perfect. Now, my dear boy, you shall be all alone.†As Ren watched, Tam’s inert form faded until nothing was left.
“Is-is he dead?†Ren asked.
“Oh no, not dead,†said Mordran. “He is my servant, and will work the Orb until he does die, and an unpleasant death it will be, too. But he hasn’t any choice. Neither have you. No one can endure this for long, and in the end everyone gives up. Or,†he added, motioning to the rotting carcass, “you end up like him.â€
Captain Pye sat awkwardly on a small chair in his cabin, staring blindly at his paperwork. Across from him in the bunk lay his unconscious cabin boy and powder monkey. He sighed and put his head in his hands. The pair of boys had been in asleep for weeks.
Suddenly, there was a rustling in the sheets. One of the boys turned and sat up in bed. It was Tam. Captain Pye gasped in surprise and grabbed Tam’s shoulders.
“What’s going on boy? Why isn’t Ren awake?â€
Tam’s eyes seemed to flash a slight red color, but immediately returned back to normal. Captain Pye blinked; perhaps he had imagined it.
“What? Ren?†Tam asked innocently. “What a sleepy head! He’s still in bed?â€
“Yes.†Captain replied stonily “You and him have been sleeping for weeks now.â€
“Ren’s problems are no concern of mine.†Tam said with only a fleeting look of guilt. “Now, please excuse me, I wish to get out of this room.â€
Tam pushed the Captain roughly out of the way and strode purposefully out to the deck. By now, Pye had begun to suspect something. He watched Tam walk toward one of the rowboats on the far side of the ship.
Captain Pye’s eyes grew wide and he shouted, “Stop him!â€
The crew instantly stopped what they were doing. The men closest to Tam tried to grab him, but Tam was quicker. Muttering a word under his breath, his arms caught flame and he rose into the air. Without a word, he landed on a small boat. With a wave of his hand the ropes securing the vehicle burned away. The rowboat wobbled and fell into the water. The crew watched as Tam rowed furiously away. Captain Pye stared after the boys receding figure with worry. Tam’s condition could only mean one thing: Ren was in trouble!
Oops, too long. Everything from here on is unedited:
He heard a rush of wind, and a very small, bright fire appeared a few feet away, hovering less than half an inch above the floor. “Did I start it?†he asked himself. Perhaps this was the beginning of the end. Maybe he had misused his power already, and Sphaere was doomed.
The fire grew bigger and bigger, and Ren, with a nightmare passivity, watched it grow larger, closer, brighter. Soon it would reach his hammock, and then him and – Ren couldn’t think about that. He closed his eyes tightly. Nothing happened, but an odd sensation came over him. He tried to cry out and failed. He opened his eyes to see images moving around him and heard voices. The images cleared away, and he was standing on a gray ship. No one took notice of him except for a boy swabbing the decks next to him. “I know you,†the boy muttered to himself. “Who…Ren?â€
Ren suddenly knew who the boy was. “Tam,†he breathed.
Captain Pye found Ren lying on the floor next to his hammock. He was asleep or in a trance, and appeared to be holding a conversation with a voice unheard.
Rake Vashkar looked at Tam. He was kneeling on the deck, a holystone in his hand and a bucket by his side. But he wasn’t scrubbing the deck. He was talking.
“Where is this?†asked Ren.
“The Blood Storm,†replied Tam. “Well, not really. I’m not sure where we are. I was on the Blood Storm, a minute ago.â€
“Did you set something on fire?â€
“Me? No. Why?â€
Ren took a breath. “Did you know you have fire power, Tam?â€
“How do you know about that?â€
“Because I do too. I set my legs on fire. See?†He gestured to his blistered calves.
“Ouch,†said Tam sympathetically.
Ren frowned. Something had occurred to him. “You do know about your talent. Captain said you didn’t.â€
“The Blood Storm’s weatherweaver told me about it. He wants me to use some orb. He’s paying me an awful lot.â€
“Oh, no,†moaned Ren. But then the grayness that surrounded him and Tam closed in, bringing with it all the previous images. He cried out, and woke.
As the gray mist faded and Tam came to himself, he found he was still sitting on the deck. His first thought was, what in Sphaere just happened?
His next thought was, I’m scrubbing the deck. What about all those fancy positions I was promised? But of course, he would only get a good position if he promise to work that orb. It was tempting, that was for sure.
Very tempting, in fact. Tam looked down at the holystone in his hand, and the vast expanse of deck that he was supposed to scrub. If he just accepted the offer, he would never have to do this again.
At any rate, what had the Empire ever done to harm him? Just because the pirates hated Sanguinus IX didn’t mean he had to. And what the Emperor did couldn’t be any worse than what the pirates did. Could it?
Never scrub the deck again… Any position, even first mate… Wages of up to ten aurums a day…
His mind was made up. Tam stood up purposefully and walked across the deck towards Rake Vashkar, who was talking angrily to a sunburned sailor. Tam summoned up his courage.
“I will use the Orb,†he said.
Captain Pye’s face blurred into focus slowly, like water clearing after mud has been stirred up. “What happened, boy?†cried the Captain.
“They know!†Ren said urgently. “They’ve told him!â€
“Told who? Who told him? Told him what?â€
Ren sat up. “Vashkar told Tam, that he has fire powers. That means they know about it, which means that Tam isn’t safe no matter what he does.â€
The Captain swore. “At least they don’t know about you.â€
“Well, actually… â€
“WHAT, boy? Speak up.â€
“That Pukis trapper told a disguised wave spirit that I had fire talent. The spirit mentioned Vashkar and Mordran.â€
Pye cursed. Fumbling through his pockets, he pulled out an object that looked like a dried kraken tentacle. Gnawing convulsively on it, Captain Pye paced the deck, muttering “Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.â€
Ren said nothing. He could see that it was a much larger dilemma than he could comprehend.
“Why is this such a problem, sir?†Ren asked. “I mean, they won’t need me until Tam can’t…†he realized what he was saying and broke off, guiltily. “And I’m sure we’ll have rescued Tam before he can really do any harm,†he amended hastily.
“Well…†the Captain hesitated. “There are two things they might do. They may try to capture you now so that when Tam dies, you can take over immediately, or they may combine your powers and gamble on not needing you after you have done your work.â€
“Combine our powers?â€
“Yes. Your powers merged, and with the globe, will make you two more powerful than anyone in Sphaere, except for the Unknowables.â€
The Unknowables? Ren thought. What are those? Ren wanted to ask, but knew it was not the right time. Perhaps, later he would.
The captain and Ren were quiet for a long time, but Ren finally perked up. He said, in his most confident voice, “We must get Tam back, and we will.â€
The Captain sighed. “I admire your confidence, Ren, but it may be too late.â€
Back on the Blood Storm, Vashkar was ecstatic. “This is wonderful news, Tam. I’m glad you saw our- †He broke off, staring upward at a stormy petrel hovering above the topsail. It uttered a series of harsh croaks, and the stormmaster’s expression changed.
“They have another person with fire talent aboard the Sea Roc. Well, we can turn that to our advantage. Contact this person and tell him that you are being held captive aboard the Blood Storm at the Free Isle of Kievl. We’ll trap them there.â€
“Contact him, sir?†Tam said.
“Through fire scrying. Like you did a few hours ago, before you passed out. Surely you know how?â€
Tam looked away to hide his fear. He had no idea how Ren and him had contacted each other before. Anything was better than angering Vashkar, though, so he lied, “Of course I do. Why wouldn’t I?â€
“Very good,†said Rake, and with that he walked away, leaving Tam to try and contact Ren by himself. He went down to his cabin, feeling sick.
Tam sat down on his bunk. This was the worst thing that had ever happened to him. Well, maybe not the worst… He shook his head sharply to clear that thought away and turned his, mind to something else. It had been a mistake to agree to the terms of the stormmaster. He could see that now. And yet, the thought of power beckoned him. As first mate, no one would dare to mock him. He had better try the fire scrying. Tam rolled onto his stomach and tried to remember what he had been thinking about when he had gone into a trance.
As Tam concentrated, he began to feel strangely hot around his extremities. I wonder if I’m getting a fever, he thought. Then he realized that, whatever was happening, it was not normal.
There was a loud, muffled fump, as though an alchemical cannon had gone off behind heavy doors. A small ball of white-hot flame hit the floor in front of him. At first, it was nebulous, flinging out small shreds of fire. Tam concentrated, willing it to help him contact Ren. To his surprise, it did, shrinking to a pinprick before vanishing in a burst of light that momentarily blinded him.
As Tam blinked away dazzling sunbursts of color, he saw that he was in the mysterious gray space that he had been in once before. Ren was standing in front of him, wearing a startled expression.
Tam quickly gabbled out what he was supposed to say. “I’m on the Blood Storm, berthed at the Isle of Kievl. Tell Captain Pye to send help- or, better yet, come himself!â€
Ren passed on the message, along with the fact that Tam had looked rather surprised and scared, spoken quickly, and broke contact as soon as he had finished talking, or sooner.
Captain Pye gnawed another kraken tentacle- unless it was the same one, Ren couldn’t be sure and didn’t know how tough kraken tentacles were- and thought about this.
Finally he heaved a great sigh and stood up. “We must rescue Tam. But I’ve got a bad feeling about this.â€
“Why?†asked Ren.
“I don’t know, boy, I don’t know. It just…†he trailed off. Ren waited patiently for five long minutes before Pye spoke again. “Tam’s an odd one, and I don’t understand him. Certainly not when I can’t look him in the face.†And having delivered that uninformative and puzzling message, he left the cabin.
Three days later they reached the Isle of Kievl. The Captain was unnaturally edgy, and Ren was nervous too. He had tried to contact Tam, but the older boy hadn’t spoken to him, and had cut off the scrying as quickly as he could. It was probably just Tam’s captors making life unpleasant, he reassured himself.
Ren stood on deck, watching the jolly boats being lowered into the water. The Isle of Kievl was another of those “uninhabited†isles, but, in contrast to Lithuslov, it was practically empty. There were a few tiny villages and a port about half the size of Pukislyn, but nothing really big.
Tam felt a surge of guilt as he saw the Sea Roc come into harbor. He had tried to minimize the guilt and anxiety by not speaking to Ren, half-hoping that if he refused communication Ren would know it was a trap. But it hadn’t worked, as was clear from the trusting way Ren tried to contact. “We’ll rescue you, Tam,†he had said only an hour or so ago. “Don’t worry.â€
“Oh, forget it,†Tam told himself now. “It’s not as though you owe them anything. Any rate, you have to take the chance you get.†He was beginning to wish he wasn’t the bait, and that he could go down into his cabin and curl up on the bunk and not come out until they were very far away. But that wasn’t going to happen, was it?
The crew of the Sea Roc brought it into the harbor and hung it into the shore. They let down the jolly boats and started making there way towards shore. Tam, shaking, put his hands behind the back, sending the first signal: Get ready.
The crew of the Sea Roc were on the shore now, getting out of their boats, and looking around at the island. Tam jumped up: Weapon set. Captain Pye told the crew to stay there, and he and Ren walked towards Tam nervously, as if they were expecting something to jump out at them. How right they are, Tam thought.
Captain Pye and Ren were only about three feet away from him now. He lifted up his hands, causing looks of confusion on the captain’s face, and dropped them: ATTACK! was the signal.
A loud cry from the woods, and then more yells, and then sailors came running at Ren. One advanced towards Ren, swinging his wooden stick, and Ren heard Tam yell, and Captain Pye shout, “Retreat to the east!†and then everything went black.
When Ren woke up, Captain Pye and Tam were standing over him, worry knit in their eyebrows. Captain Pye was the first to speak. “We were able to keep you and Tam safe,†he said, “but they took our boats and killed twelve of our thirty men.â€
“I’m sorry, Ren,†Tam said sadly.
“Oh, right,†said Ren bitterly. “I sure believe that. You could have at least hinted it was a trap, if you were too scared-†he spat the word out as though it were a wind-beetle- “to actually say outright.â€
“I did!†cried Tam. “Why do you think I wouldn’t talk?â€
“Boys,†said Captain Pye, breaking up what might have become a verbal fight, if not a physical one. “You can quarrel later; right now we have to think about escaping.â€
“Escaping? You mean we’re prisoners?â€
“Yes. But at least we’re not dead,†said Captain Pye.
“Where are we?†asked Ren, sitting up.
“We’re on the Isle of Kievl, in a stockade guarded by twenty-five warriors. We have to think of an escape plan.â€
“Not me,†said Tam quietly. “I already made my choice. I’m going to work the Orb of Centaur for them. You could too, Ren. We could work it together, and live in the utmost comfort. It would be a wonderful life.†He looked hopeful, until Ren shook his head.
“Have you any idea what the Orb does to you, Tam? It’ll kill you if you work it!â€
Ren looked around the stockade. Most of the crew members he’d met were still there. Vushtek di Fundermuult was lying on the ground, barely conscious, with a bloody rag wrapped around his arm. Niria Tolmark was hunched over in the corner, face buried in her hands, body shaking with sobs. Tzil Azuro was just coming round, staggering to his feet.
Tzil’s eyes rolled wildly, then focused on Tam. “You!†he roared. “Traitor!â€
Ignoring Captain Pye’s alarmed cry, he snatched up a blazing phlogiston lamp from its alcove in the wall and hurled it straight at Tam’s chest.
Tam ducked, but although it missed his chest, it caught his hair on fire. Captain Pye whipped off his cap and used it to smother the flames.
“Tzil! What do you think you’re doing?â€
“Getting rid of a traitor,†the haggard stormmaster hissed.
“I will not permit this! The boy is under my protection.â€
“He forfeited his right to that protection when he betrayed us all!†Something in Tzil seemed to snap. He pulled out his knife.
Then the door opened. The appearance of the man standing in the doorway did nothing to advertise the fact that he was one of the most feared men in all of Sphaere. He had an almost apologetic look on his pale face, and he wore gold-rimmed half-moon glasses. He was wearing a white robe that would have been dangerously fashionable about two centuries before, and he was short. The overall effect was that of a scholar who’d gotten lost and was politely asking directions.
Still, Ren couldn’t help but notice the long, razor-sharp rapier hanging from his belt.
“Mordran,†Vushtek spat.
“Yes, the very same,†said the man. He peered around as though he was nearsighted, but Ren had the distinct impression that the glasses were for show, as was most of his outfit.
Whatever had made Tzil throw that lamp at Tam only snapped more when Mordran came in. Tzil raised his dagger and ran at Mordran. Mordran simply stepped aside as if nothing had happened and spoke calmly and quietly, almost in a whisper.
“I need the boys now,†he said.
“No. I will not let them go,†Captain Pye replied. Ren could not tell how he felt, his expression strange.
“Oh, I am afraid that you do not have a choice. They work the Orb, or I make them work it.†Mordran tapped at his head, although neither Tam nor Ren could tell what this meant. He went on: “My power has increased-only slightly, but enough for me to take them.â€
Niria looked up at this, but still avoided everyone’s eyes. “Jarbun magic,†she said under her breath. Then she yelled, “What have you done to the Unknowables?â€
“What’s she talking about?†said Ren. Captain Pye only shook his head, and Tam looked stricken.
“You needn’t take me,†said Tam hastily, stepping forward with a frightened expression. “I’ll go of my own accord.â€
Ren felt put out. Everyone seemed to know about this but him. Nonetheless, he wasn’t going to work for Mordran. He would avoid it at all costs.
As a matter of fact, Tam knew a good deal less than Ren thought. At the mention of the Unknowables, however, he knew enough. He was not going to go through that again. It didn’t matter whether Mordran had killed them (they couldn’t die, he was almost certain), or taken their powers, but if Mordran was strong enough to do something to them where even Tam could not, Tam was not going to get on his bad side.
“I did nothing to them,†said Mordran, barely acknowledging Tam. “Nothing permanent, at any rate. They will recover their powers sometime in the next fifty years. Not so very long to them, but long enough to prevent them rescuing your lot.â€
“What are the Unknowables?†asked Ren, and once more he was ignored.
Mordran grinned. “Come with me, both of you.â€
Ren stood his ground, though he was shaking like a dry leaf. “No.â€
“Come on,†Tam implored. “There’s no way to refuse him, and if you resist, he’ll just hurt you.â€
“Your colleague is a lot smarter than you are,†Mordran said to Ren. “I’ll give you one last chance.â€
“No,†Ren said, in a barely audible whisper.
A bolt of pain stabbed through his temples like a red hot bar of iron. He was irresistibly dragged toward the door.
“Blast!†Captain Pye exclaimed, and leaped at Mordran, pulling out an ornate flintlock. Mordran snarled in fury and gestured once. A spurt of green flame consumed the pistol, and Octavio Pye was hurled back ten feet. He hit the wall and lay still.
But Ren was temporarily free, and he was near the door. Shoving Tam aside, he leaped out the doorway. In midair, he yelled “Flamulo Helioso!â€
Two crossbow bolts whizzed past him, but he was ascending rapidly, and soon the guards running about below him became only specks.
Ren landed on a high pinnacle of rock just as the fire blazing on his arms went out. Now, he thought, to find a way to rescue the rest of the crew.
Ren had never been particularly good at making plans. He was as good at executing them as anyone, but he lacked the talent for making them. Now he sat on the rock till the sun went down, blazing red over the ocean, but he still could think of nothing.
I can’t go to sleep, Ren thought. He was tired after staying up all night, but couldn’t go to sleep until he had a plan. But he was so tired. Maybe if he just closed his eyes for a few minutes. He was about to fall into deep sleep when suddenly, a voice appeared in his head. Was it his voice? No, Ren realized, it was a female. Ren was sure he had never heard this voice before, yet it sounded oddly familiar… Ren? Is that you? the voice said.
Yes. It is me, Ren replied.
Oh, splendid. I hoped I had contacted you and not that awful Mordran. He better not be overhearing us.
Ren was excited now, but scared at the same time. His eyes widened. He knew who this was.
Alexis? Is that you?
Yes, it is.
We need to rescue Captain Pye and the crew of the Sea Roc, thought Ren. And Tam.
Alexis made a disapproving thought. Ren, Tam may be too far gone to rescue. He is too frightened of the Unknowables to disobey Mordran.
What are the Unknowables? asked Ren. Finally, he would get some answers!
The Unknowables are gods, said Alexis after a long pause. She seemed reluctant to say more, but Ren was not going to let her get away without telling him everything.
They can’t be gods! he thought in disbelief. There are no temples to them, nothing! I didn’t even know about them till the other day!
The Empire banned them. No one was allowed to worship them, and slowly the people forgot. Only a few people still know of them. Tam is one.
But why? And how does he know? And how do you know that?
Alexis did not reply.
Alexis, please tell me! Ren begged.
Nothing.
At least tell me where you are, Ren pleaded.
Look up, she replied.
Ren did as he was told, and lo and behold, there was Alexis, softly flapping her dragon wings, and with her were… Ren gasped. Are those your children?
Yes, she replied, unhappily.
What is wrong?
Out of thirty eggs, only these three survived. The rest were caught by poachers and sent to incubation to be brought up and killed for their fur. Her voice was dripping with anger now.
I’m sorry, said Ren lamely.
Alexis sent a small thought of acknowledgement. That story can be told later. Right now, I have a plan.
We need a sail, Alexis said.
“Over there,†Ren said, though he was confused as to the plan. “On the Blood Storm.â€
The Pukises, already in dragon form, flew down to the ship and sliced off the topsail in short order. Returning it to the rock, Alexis explained.
You’ll hold on to these corner ropes, and we’ll get up to our hottest while flying right under the sail. The hot air will buoy you up. Try to jump in the general direction of the guarded compound where your friends are. You’ll be high enough that the guards won’t see you. When we get right over it, we’ll cool down and burn a hole in the roof. The sail will act as a parachute, you’ll drop down into the room, your friends will grab hold of the lines, and- Do you have a stormmaster?
“Yes.â€
Good. Then he’ll blow us back to the Sea Roc, and we’ll sail off.
Ren seized the lines, hoping he wasn’t making a huge mistake. The Pukises flared up, and the sail ballooned out. But Ren didn’t lift off.
Alexis closed her eyes, and a cloud of blue flame enveloped her. I’m pushing myself as far as I can. Go!
This time Ren was hauled a little into the air, with an effort that neither Alexis nor Ren seemed to enjoy. The lines cut into his hands, and the flame of the Pukises seemed frighteningly near. He took a deep breath, made a hurried prayer to no one in particular, and jumped.
For a minute Ren watched in terror as the ground grew larger and nearer at an unexpected rate, but then the heat on his hair grew stronger and he nearly cried out, but he was going up.
He didn’t know how long he could stand this. His arms felt like they were being pulled out of their sockets and he could feel the flame leaning towards him hungrily, despite the Pukis’ attempts to control it.
Then they were above the compound. A crossbow bolt shot upward and almost punctured the canvas, but missed by inches. The Pukises stopped blazing and flew down below Ren, blowing fireballs at the roof. At first, the thatch burned merrily, but then a large timber cracked, and the ceiling fell in just as Ren landed with a thump.
The pirates were much as before, with the exception of Tam and Tzil, both of which had disappeared. Captain Pye was pacing the floor in agitation, but stopped dead when Ren fell though the roof in a bundle of sail and Pukises.
The roof smoldered and blazed above. The pirates looked from it, to Ren, and back at the burning straw and wood again. Ren disentangled himself sail, stood up, and bowed shakily.
“Ren!†exclaimed Captain Pye. “How in Sphaere did you get away?â€
“I flew,†said Ren. “Where’s Tzil?â€
“Tzil?†said Pye. “I don’t – oh no.â€
He raced outside, with Ren on his heels to find Tam backed up against the boards of the stockade, desperately trying to fight off a maddened Tzil, who was snarling and pressing his long knife to Tam’s throat. Tam spied Captain Pye and Ren and screamed to them. “Help!â€
They raced to his aid, but before they could reach Tam, Tzil suddenly changed tact and plunged his blade into Tam’s chest.
Ren stopped dead.
“Finally, we are rid of that traitor!†roared Tzil in triumph. Then he realized what he had done, and froze. The look of shock on Tam’s face turned to one of rage, and eldritch fire began flowing up the knife in his chest, which Tzil was still grasping. The fire wrapped itself around Tzil’s arm as he struggled to break free, using his own power of try to ward it off, but to no avail. Suddenly a huge fireball engulfed his thrashing body and he flew up in the air, finally ripping his dagger from Tam’s chest as he ascended ablaze. Lighting overwhelmed the airborne inferno and drew the hardly recognizable form of Tzil into the clouds, where all stormmasters are taken by their element to die. The long dagger carried by Tzil in life quivered upright in the dirt. His eyes rolling back in his head, Tam collapsed on the ground.
Pye rushed to the boy’s side, but Ren stood frozen, staring at the unconscious Tam. It seemed all-wrong somehow. Sure, Tam had made a bargain with the Empire, sure, he was a traitor, sure, he no longer belonged to the pirates, but still! Ren couldn’t believe that Tzil had just…killed him. Just like that. And why hadn’t the guards come to Tam’s aid when they heard his call for help?
A thought came to Ren’s mind. He frowned, puzzled. It wasn’t a fire word, but it felt powerful even so. He spoke it softly, under his breath, and felt his mouth grow hot. He breathed deeply but quickly, and found that a light was shining out of his mouth, a flaming, purple, fiery light.
He felt eyes staring at him, and, as if in a trance, he moved his own fingers into the flame. It didn’t burn. On the contrary, as he watched, the myriad small cuts and scars on his hands closed up, vanished without a trace. He walked towards Tam, suddenly realizing what the fire did.
“REN!†Captain Pye yelled. “What in Sphaere are you doing?â€
Ren did not reply. His mouth was full of fire, and his fingertips crackled with dancing, flickering, flames.
“Ren, you idiot!†screamed Pye. “It’ll kill you! It’ll kill him!†But his warning came too late, as the fire vanished in a shower of sparks. Tam looked no different than before, and slowly Ren sat down on the hard ground with his back against the stockade. He saw Alexis fluttering above him in dragon form, and Captain Pye looking aghast, and then he lay his head down on his knees, and fell into a deep, unnatural sleep.
Mordran sat down in the wooden-and-gilt chair that was provided for him, breathing heavily. However Ren felt, Mordran felt ten times worse. It wasn’t easy, channeling the powers of a god through yourself and into another. Especially when the other was so far away. But it had worked, the man was sure of it. Even if the first boy never recovered, the second was helpless. Mordran must give the order now, before the shock of such power had worn off. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out an item resembling a silver bell. He shook it, and a single, high-pitched, note resounded through the room. When it had faded, all was quiet. Then, and only then, did Mordran allow himself to sleep.
Octavio Pye watched as Ren’s eyes closed, and he slipped into oblivion. It was a magic-induced sleep, the Captain knew. He had seen enough of them, having two weatherweavers on his ship. But he had never seen anything like the magic that Ren had just performed. The fire consuming the boy, only to vanish as suddenly as it had come, without even the slightest traces left. No ash, no burns on Ren or Tam-nothing. But then again, he reminded himself. What did he know? He had no elemental talent at all, so who was he to judge whether something was going wrong or not?
He turned his attention back on Tam, who looked exactly as before. Ah well. Unfathomable talent or not, the boys were more than mere tools, and it would do them no good to be soaked in the storm that he felt tingling over the horizon. Pye turned to the hut, in front of which the remainder of the crew of the Sea Roc was standing, awed at the spectacle.
“Let’s get the boys inside,†said Pye. “It looks like it might rain.â€
Moments later the rain came down heavy on the roof. Captain Pye and Vushtek crouched over the boys, inspecting Tam’s wound. It was only a physical wound, not a magical wound, thank goodness, so it would heal in time. But in his current state he wasn’t in any shape to tell them exactly what he’d been doing for the past four or five days. Too, bad, really, Pye thought.
“There is nothing we can do about Tzil,†said Vushtek to Niria. “He is dead.â€
“Perhaps,†replied Niria calmly, and the others relaxed. Niria Tolmark was still young, not yet hardened by a life of piracy, and no one was sure how she would take the death of her fellow stormmaster. “It is not Tzil I worry about,†she continued. “It is them.†She jerked her chin toward first Ren, and then Tam, lying on the two hard bunks. “That wasn’t natural, what Ren did.â€
“He isn’t natural,†Captain Pye informed her. “Not to us.â€
“I suppose not,†she sighed. “I know nothing of fire.â€
This conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a smug-looking Mordran, who bowed smoothly and said, “I have decided to let you go free.â€
There was a stunned and mistrustful silence, and then Pye said, “And the boys?â€
“The boys as well. Your ship is in the harbor still; she is unharmed. Now go.â€
They did not have to be told twice.
Hours later, after everybody but Tam and he had left the cabin where they now lay, Ren shifted restlessly in his sleep. His dreams were uneasy. He kept seeing a fire, burning, burning, burning his skin, burning away his strength. He tried as hard as he could, but he couldn’t scream.
Then, right before the flames consumed him, the vision changed. Ren suddenly found himself sitting on a cold floor in what looked a lot like a dungeon. On impulse, he tried to stand, but quickly realized that he was held down by shadow-like chains.
“No!†A scream filled the room.
Ren looked up abruptly and saw Tam rolling around in agony on the damp dungeon floor.
“What have I done to you?! Why do I deserve such agony?! Please! No!†Tam screamed again.
“Tam!†Ren yelled. “Stop it!â€
The other boy shuddered and ceased his thrashing. Ren sat there for what felt like hours, watching Tam sleep. He kept trying to tell himself that this was all a dream, but the longer he remained in the dark room his doubts continued to grow.
Tam stirred. A yawn escaped his lips and he sat up.
“Where . . . where are we?†Tam asked.
“You,†answered a sinister voice,†are in my mind cells. Nice, aren’t they?â€
Mordran strode confidently into the room.
“This entire facility, including myself, is an illusion, it only takes place in your mind, but it is very effective as a prison.â€
The two boys gazed at Mordran, clearly uncomprehending.
Mordran smiled nastily in return. †You will remain here until you give me what I want: your allegiance.â€
With that, Mordran stalked away, fading as he walked. The faint stench of rot lingered in the room.
Tam’s eyes widened in panic. “What are we going to do?†he gasped.
“I don’t want to be his servant!†Ren added. He glanced around the small room, if you could even call it a room. Was it just his imagination, or was it growing more revolting? The rotting smell that he had noticed came from the rotting flesh of a body in the chamber that surely had no been there a minute ago, and the smell was growing stronger.
“I already agreed to work the Orb,†said Tam desperately. “I’ll do anything, if I could just get out of here!†Tam seemed to be immobile, staring into space at something invisible. “I don’t want to die! I don’t want anybody to die while he tries to get to me!â€
“Tam, that’s very noble, but think of all the people that would die if he was able to use the Orb!â€
“I don’t care!†Tam’s face had grown very white, and his hands were making the chains shake.
The noise only added to Ren’s growing sense of claustrophobia and despair. He wanted to stop the noise, stop the smell, stop everything but his own mind, and think. He reached out to slap the older boy, but his own chains would not allow it. The smell was becoming a thick, impenetrable fog, and Tam moaned on. Finally Ren snapped. “SHUT UP!†he yelled. “Let me think!â€
“Oh no, dear boy. You cannot think here,†said Mordran’s voice from somewhere inside the depths of the room – his own mind, Ren realized. He felt betrayed. How could his own mind have come up with something so awful? But of course it hadn’t. This was Mordran’s invention, and Ren could do nothing but watch.
So watch he did. He watched Tam grow more and more frightened, more and more willing to serve Mordran in exchange for release from this prison, and he watched the chains crumble until finally they gave way all together and Tam fainted.
“There,†said Mordran, entering the room again. “Perfect. Now, my dear boy, you shall be all alone.†As Ren watched, Tam’s inert form faded until nothing was left.
“Is-is he dead?†Ren asked.
“Oh no, not dead,†said Mordran. “He is my servant, and will work the Orb until he does die, and an unpleasant death it will be, too. But he hasn’t any choice. Neither have you. No one can endure this for long, and in the end everyone gives up. Or,†he added, motioning to the rotting carcass, “you end up like him.â€
Captain Pye sat awkwardly on a small chair in his cabin, staring blindly at his paperwork. Across from him in the bunk lay his unconscious cabin boy and powder monkey. He sighed and put his head in his hands. The pair of boys had been in asleep for weeks.
Suddenly, there was a rustling in the sheets. One of the boys turned and sat up in bed. It was Tam. Captain Pye gasped in surprise and grabbed Tam’s shoulders.
“What’s going on boy? Why isn’t Ren awake?â€
Tam’s eyes seemed to flash a slight red color, but immediately returned back to normal. Captain Pye blinked; perhaps he had imagined it.
“What? Ren?†Tam asked innocently. “What a sleepy head! He’s still in bed?â€
“Yes.†Captain replied stonily “You and him have been sleeping for weeks now.â€
“Ren’s problems are no concern of mine.†Tam said with only a fleeting look of guilt. “Now, please excuse me, I wish to get out of this room.â€
Tam pushed the Captain roughly out of the way and strode purposefully out to the deck. By now, Pye had begun to suspect something. He watched Tam walk toward one of the rowboats on the far side of the ship.
Captain Pye’s eyes grew wide and he shouted, “Stop him!â€
The crew instantly stopped what they were doing. The men closest to Tam tried to grab him, but Tam was quicker. Muttering a word under his breath, his arms caught flame and he rose into the air. Without a word, he landed on a small boat. With a wave of his hand the ropes securing the vehicle burned away. The rowboat wobbled and fell into the water. The crew watched as Tam rowed furiously away. Captain Pye stared after the boys receding figure with worry. Tam’s condition could only mean one thing: Ren was in trouble!
Niria stared her captain in concern. “Are you sure, Captain?†she asked carefully.
Pye nodded sharply. “The Shriak Mind Bonding is the only way that I can communicate with Ren. We cannot let Mordran take Ren as he so obviously did Tam. Letting this happen would be disastrous to the whole world as we know it.â€
“But sir!†Niria protested. “The Bonding is an extremely ancient process! We do not even know if it works! It could very well backfire and kill you!â€
Pye shook his head and chuckled. “Then, you can have my hat.â€
Niria sighed. She had tried to warn him.
Ren lay on the cold dungeon floor, miserable. He wished that he could strangle Tam. At least before he had someone to talk to, even if he wouldn’t talk back.
“If I get out of here, I will personally make Tam wish he had never been born,†he vowed.
It was only then that he realized that he had been talking aloud. Great, he thought, now I’m talking to myself. I’m going crazy.
Suddenly, something touched his thoughts. Ren was instantly alert. Who was it? Had Mordran decided to resort to some less passive form of torture? No! He wouldn’t let Mordran win! With as much savagery as he could muster, he attacked the strand of thought.
Niria watched Captain Pye as he concentrated. A look of satisfaction told her that he had succeeded with making contact with Ren. Niria let go of the breath that she had been holding since the beginning of the Bonding process. It had worked!
A sharp intake of breath told her something was wrong. Captain Pye was kneeling on the floor, holding his head in agony, his mouth open a silent scream. Niria rushed to his side, but there was nothing she could do. Captain Pye’s veins stuck out on his neck, which was red and covered with sweat. His eyes bugged out of his head. The strain was too much for him. He collapsed in a dead faint.
A moan came out of the far corner of the room. Niria looked up and saw Ren sitting up in bed, his eyes wide in alarm.
“Niria?†Ren questioned in disbelief.
“Ren!†Niria gasped. “Get Vushtek! Now! Quick-â€
Ren nodded and jumped out of bed. He didn’t know what was going on, but he did know where to find Vushtek. He ran to the galley as fast as he could.
“Vushtek!†he called into the open doorway. “The Captain-†Vushtek appeared in the door in a twinkling, wearing a grubby white apron over his emerald green robes.
“What about him?†he asked, concern etched on his face.
“I don’t know! Something’s wrong!â€
Vushtek needed no more explanation than that. He did not bother to take off his apron, but headed towards the cabin right away. Ren followed rather uncertainly.
Vushtek entered the cabin and stopped in his tracks when he saw the Captain. “What happened?†he demanded of Niria.
“He – he tried to do the Shriak Mind Bonding. And it went wrong,†Niria stammered, her pretty face distraught.
“He tried to do the Bonding? And you let him? Of course it went wrong! It’s the Bonding!†He knelt by the unconscious captain, and started to take his pulse. “I’m not one to criticize my captain,†he said, “but this is ridiculous.â€
Niria nodded. “And he said – he said that if he died, I could have his hat!†This was too much for her, and she started to sob uncontrollably.
Ren looked on, hardly hearing a word, as Vushtek, in an unusually bad temper, questioned Niria, who continued to cry. But then something brought him back down to earth.
“It wasn’t during the Bonding that it all went wrong,†said Niria, gaining some measure of control. “It was after, once he’d actually reached Ren and it ought to have been easy.â€
Ren turned cold. He cleared his throat. “What exactly does this Bonding do?†he asked, his voice perilously close to cracking.
Vushtek and Niria turned to look at him. “It gives two people contact through their minds,†Niria explained. “Didn’t you feel it?â€
But Ren could not reply.
“Oh no,†he murmured. “Oh no, oh no, oh please no.â€
“Ren?†asked Niria, comprehension dawning in her eyes. “What did you do?â€
“I didn’t . . . mean . . .†began Ren through a fog of horror. “I thought it was Mordran . . . trying to get into my mind . . .â€
Niria eyes grew as big as saucers. Vushtek stared at Ren as if he wanted to pierce his brain.
“You attacked his mind,†Vushtek stated calmly.
The large man turned to the Captain and felt his pulse once more.
“He’s not dead, but near it. I may be able to soothe the pain slightly, but he needs to get expert help. We will need to stop at the nearest port as quickly as possible if he is to survive.â€
Vushtek grunted and lifted Captain Pye gently onto a bed. He motioned for Niria and Ren to leave them in peace. Niria brushed past Ren as they left, she didn’t meet his eyes.
Ren stared hollowly at nothing. He did not feel the deck rolling beneath his feet, or the wind on his face, or hear the men working behind him. He did, however, notice when someone appeared at his elbow and asked, “What’s going on? No one’ll tell me.â€
Ren turned and met the eyes of the cabin boy, Arn. “Oh, hello,†he said, deadpan. The other boy looked alarmed.
“What’s going on?†he asked again.
Ren looked back out across the stern of the ship, at the great blue-green watery expanse. “Go ask someone else,†he said. “Leave me alone.â€
“No,†replied the cabin boy stubbornly. He was much larger than Ren, and smaller boys would not dare refuse such a large and ferocious-looking person. Ren did not spare him a glance, nor say another word.
Arn waited, leaning his arms on a bulwark. Ren would give in and say sooner or later. He could wait.
He did not have to wait long. In a few minutes, Ren spoke.
“I think I may have – I might have . . . killed . . . the Captain.â€
Arn looked at him in mingled astonishment and anger. “Why in Sphaere?†he exploded. “What did he do to you?â€
“Nothing at all,†Ren said. “I didn’t mean to. He tried to get inside my mind. Don’t ask. Please leave me alone.â€
“The Captain is dead?†Arn asked, his fury giving way to incredulity.
“No,†said Ren. “Not yet. Hopefully never. But he might die. If he did it would be all my fault. Go away. Don’t tell anyone, please.â€
Arn stared at Ren curiously, but did as he was asked.
Tam had no idea where he going. In fact, if he had been in his right mind, he would not have left the Sea Roc at all. There seemed to be a buzzing in his head, telling him where to go.
Tam looked around himself. He saw no evidence that he going anywhere near land. Everything was ocean, as far as his eyes could see. He wondered silently if he was doing the right thing.
He thought about Ren. Ren seemed so certain about what he should do, when he, Tam, had no idea what was right. Guilt filled him as he remembered that Ren was still trapped in the dark mind cell. Tam couldn’t believe that Ren would ever surrender. He imagined Ren staying trapped in his mind, until he died, leaving his rotting corpse to lay there forever.
The buzzing filled Tam’s head again and he shook the thoughts of Ren out of his mind. Ren was a fool to not give his services to the empire. If he didn’t use his powers for the greater good then he deserved his fate.
Ren stood silently on the deck of The Sea Roc, looking out over the small port town where they had docked. A numb feeling was quickly rushing up inside him. It was the worst sensation he had ever experienced.
Hushed voices drifted toward him from the captain’s cabin. Out of corner of his eye, he watched a small, frail man making frantic hand gestures to Vushtek. The large man nodded and left the older gentleman alone with Captain Pye’s still form.
Ren heard soft footfalls behind him and felt a rather large hand rest on his shoulder. It was Vushtek.
“The doctor is starting the procedure,†he said. “The Captain should survive.â€
Ren gave a stiff nod and Vushtek turned away. No one seemed eager to stay in his company. After all, hadn’t it been he, Ren, who had attacked the Captain and practically killed him?
Tam stared at the sky, brooding. His mind kept telling him to keep rowing onward, but his mouth was parched and his stomach had been empty for days. He lowered his eyes and looked desperately into the distance. His eyes grew wide and he jumped up in excitement. The boat wobbled dangerously, so he sat back down. With a sudden burst of energy, Tam began rowing again with vigor. Land was in sight!
The ship was silent and Ren felt horribly conspicuous. He continued to stare woodenly at the port in front of him. Jartuvi, his mind told him. The third Free Isle you’ve seen. But he didn’t care. It was simply another thing to stare at, unseeing. He was such an idiot. He ought to have known better than to attack someone’s mind, after Alexis. But he had done so anyway.
Somewhere that seemed a world away, Niria started to cry.
It was all too much for Ren, and without a second thought, he slipped over the side of the ship and plunged into the water.
It was greasy, and dark, and made his clothes stick to his skin, but he rose to the surface anyway, spit out a mouthful of the foul harbor-water, and started to swim doggedly toward shore.
He was almost there when he felt something touch his mind. His first instinct was to defend himself, but he stifled that and went under with surprise.
When he came back up to the surface again, he saw an amused-looking blue Pukis hovering above him.
“Alexis!†he gasped out loud, going under again.
Of course, she replied. I wasn’t going to abandon you. She regarded him for a moment and then said, On second thought, why don’t we just talk when we get to shore.
Ren nodded in agreement and swam the remaining strokes to the harbor wall. Once there, he pulled himself up onto it and looked back towards the Sea Roc. No one was looking for him. No one had noticed his splash. He wasn’t sure whether to be glad or desolate. He settled on simply pushing the thought out of his mind.
Come on, said Alexis. We should go somewhere where there aren’t quite as many people.
Ren nodded in agreement. Where?
I know a place. Come on. With that she turned into a kitten and trotted off towards what appeared to be a completely abandoned shack. Ren followed with a little trepidation.
Where are your children? he asked.
They went back to Lithuslov. It has been several weeks, you know. This last was said with a touch of amusement, but Ren remembered the mind cells and could find nothing even remotely funny.
On the Sea Roc, things were much as Ren had imagined them. The Captain was still asleep, the doctor was getting into his rowing boat, and Niria was still sobbing from the emotional stress of the last few days. By now the last few days had morphed into the last few weeks, and she was crying for Tzil and the dead crewmembers as well as the Captain.
But someone had noted the splash. Perched high on the crosstrees was a monkey, carefully watching the scene below.
When the doctor had rowed off towards the shore, Vushtek turned to Niria. “Would you like to stand guard over the Captain?†he asked kindly. “I’ll make you some tea if you’d like.â€
Niria nodded mutely, wiped her eyes, and went into the cabin. Vushtek disappeared into the galley. No one mentioned a splash, or noticed that Ren was missing. The monkey-that-was-not-a-monkey smiled an eerie grin, turned into a wind-beetle, and flew off to the other side of the Isle. Its master would be pleased with it.
The deck of the Blood Storm was empty, except for one man. Rake Vashkar smiled thinly, projecting his thoughts through the rippling spray, calling back his servants.
A wind beetle landed on the deck in front of him. Fluttering its delicate, blue-patterned wings, it slowly dissolved into a puddle of salt water.
With frightening speed, a cloaked man grew out of the puddle like a rising pillar. “The Fiery One is no longer aboard the Sea Roc,†it hissed. “He will be easy to find and capture.â€
“Go. Take your brethren and bring him to me. I will send word to Mordran.â€
Vashkar’s smile grew into a grin. Ren’s will would be easy to break, and with two Fire Powerful on his side, Mordran would easily be able to wipe out every freebooter in the Inner Sea. His faithful stormmaster would certainly receive a sizable percentage of the enormous reward that Sanguinus IX would give him.
Of course, if Vashkar had known the full scope of Mordran’s plan, he would have jumped over the side and raced to warn the Emperor before it was too late.
Ren followed Alexis along the beach. After walking for several minutes, they arrived at a small clump of trees away from the city. Alexis curled up under one of the trees, so Ren followed suit.
So, Alexis said with an amused glimmer in her eye. What has my human been getting up to while I’ve been gone?
Ren related his story to Alexis gratefully. He had needed to talk to someone for a long time.
Well, you’ve certainly had a time without me haven’t you? she commented with an amused purr. Don’t worry about Captain Pye. He has a strong mind; you have not broken it.
Ren nodded but worry was still etched across his face. Alexis looked like she wanted to say something more but she was interrupted by a crunch of wood grounding against rock and a boyish whoop. The friends peered though the foliage and glimpsed a young man with scraggly hair and a hungry look in his eyes. The boy left his vehicle behind and began hiking toward the city.
Ren crept cautiously toward the abandoned rowboat and peered inside. It was totally empty except for a small sign carved into the back. Ren stared at it and immediately recognized it as the signature of The Sea Roc. With alarm, Ren turned from the boat and watched the boy’s disappearing figure. Tam!
He almost yelled after him to come back, he had so much to talk about, but he remembered in time Tam’s treachery and was silent.
Well, what are you going to do about it? asked Alexis, reading his tumbled thoughts.
“I don’t know, he replied aloud, sounding suddenly both very young and very unhappy. “Should I follow him?â€
She replied with another question. Does the crew of the Sea Roc know where you have gone?
“No. But they don’t care anyhow. I nearly killed the Captain, they can’t ever forgive me.â€
I wouldn’t be so sure about that. I strongly suggest that you return before they start to worry.
“Fine.†Ren turned and trudged back towards the harbor, with Alexis sitting contentedly on his shoulder. A small brown wren detached itself from a twig and flapped off in the direction of the Blood Storm.
Ren was halfway back to the Sea Roc when it struck him that he had no way to get across the harbor save by swimming or going back to get the boat. The next thing that struck him was a large stick against the back of his head.
The impact knocked him face first onto the path, and when he rolled over onto his back, still clutching his head with his ears ringing, he saw a tall cloaked man with watery eyes looking down on him. The man raised his stick for another blow-
And Alexis flew into his face, a small, hissing ball of fire, fur, and scales. The man looked taken aback, but he said a word and a moment later Alexis fell to the sand, dripping with water and steaming slightly. Ren dove forward to grab her before the man could do any more harm, but the Pukis spit a tiny ball of flame that scorched Ren’s hand and lit the man’s robes on fire. A single word appeared in Ren’s mind, etched on the back of his eyelids in blazing letters, and that word was,
RUN!
He did. He ran back along the beach towards the town, away from the rowboat, (away from Alexis!), knowing that he had to get back to the Sea Roc. He had to warn them, and he had to get to safety. There was not the slightest doubt in the boy’s mind about what the man was – who the man was. He had seen the scar above his right eyebrow.
Who had let Letor out, Sphaere knew. But he certainly was no longer a prisoner.
Tam wandered aimlessly through the streets of Jartuvi. He was looking for something or someone, but he had no idea who. Tam found himself walking inside a small side tavern. He headed straight for the barman.
The barman took one look at him and said, “Oh, his grace told me I would be expecting someone like you.†He reached under the table and produced a grubby little key. “Your room’s up the stairs on the right.†he said gruffly and turned to a waiting customer.
Tam stumbled up the stairs and managed to open the door to his room before collapsing on the bed.
Ren couldn’t remember a time where he’d run faster in his life, not counting the time when he had run from the emperors guards. That day seemed ages ago.
Ren picked up even more speed as the docks came into sight. He dived into the water and swam toward The Sea Roc. With the last strength he could muster, he clambered up a rope ladder that some careless man had left hanging over the side and hoisted himself onto the ship’s deck. One of the crew noticed his sudden appearance and helped him to his feet. Ren stumbled over to Vushtek and related what happened, breathlessly.
Vushtek stared at him with growing alarm on his face.
“We can’t possibly leave the city with the Captain in the condition he’s in. We can only hope that Letor does not send us into the hands of the enemy, but trust me, if he does, we certainly won’t be taken without a fight!â€
That was very comforting, Ren decided sarcastically, lying on a bunk an hour later. He didn’t want to be taken at all, with or without a fight!
Niria looked in. “Oh, you’re here,†she said, her voice heavy with anger and sorrow.
“Yes,†he said dully. Life had gone from bad to worse in the space of an instant.
“This is the stormmaster’s cabin,†said Niria, with a touch of accusation.
“The first mate put me here,†said Ren. “There was nowhere else.â€
Niria’s expression made it clear that she disapproved, but there was nothing she could say or do about it.
“Well,†she said. “I am the stormmaster, since Tzil is dead. I will have to collect the necessary equipment. Don’t mind me.†And she busied herself with gathering up the instruments that littered the tiny cabin. Tzil certainly hadn’t been very tidy.
Ren turned his face to the wall.
Tam lay in a half-awake stupor on the bed, until the smell of soup brought him to his senses. He sat up eagerly. The little child who had brought the soup bowed solemnly to him and left.
When he had finished he lay back down, ready to sleep for days if necessary. The time spent in the mind cells had been anything but refreshing, and now he was ready for some proper sleep.
But he was not to have it. The door opened and in walked Mordran, looking as benign as when Tam had first seen him. Behind the little man stood another, much taller, his hair a lurid and conspicuous violet. Rake Vashkar.
Mordran sat fluidly into one of the small, hard chairs that stood by the door. Vashkar did not sit in the chair beside Mordran’s, but Tam did not expect him to anyway. He didn’t think that Vashkar was the kind of person who was often seen in a chair.
Mordran had a calm, dangerous expression on his face.
“Do you have any idea how much you have damaged my plans?†he asked angrily. “You were seen on your way here. We would have captured a dangerous batch of pirates, along with that treacherous boy, Ren, if you had been more careful. Now we have lost our element of surprise. We have to risk open combat.â€
Tam’s eyes grew wide in amazement. “Ren’s alive?†he asked in awe.
Mordran’s eyes flashed mercilessly. “Ren is no concern of yours.â€
With that, he got up from his chair and headed toward the door. “You will be punished for your mistake.†He motioned to Vashkar and left.
Rake Vashkar grinned and cracked his knuckles. Tam’s face bore a look of pure horror.
“So, you thought you would make things better by running, did you?†Vashkar said in a tone that made it sound like he was talking about the weather.
“No, I-†Tam stammered.
Vashkar hit him on the side of the head, in a sudden burst of violence. “Don’t lie!†he hissed, spitting in Tam’s face. “We know everything that you’ve been doing since you left our presence last. Did you think we would let you wander around unchecked?â€
“But I- I’ve come to help you,†Tam said feebly, recoiling.
“And this is the sort of help you’re going to offer? Revealing our general location to the one of the few people that would use that information to hurt us? A lot of help you are!â€
He circled Tam, who cowered in the center of the tiny room, trying not to show his fear and failing miserably.
“If it wasn’t for Mordran’s orders,†he whispered hungrily. “I’d have more than half a mind to kill you, right now.â€
Vashkar nodded silently to himself. Then he turned back to Tam again and said, “But I won’t. Instead, I will have to satisfy myself with giving you your first lesson in what happens to the servants of Mordran that fail him.â€
Vashkar reached into his belt and pulled out a rather nasty knife. With a wicked grin, he grabbed Tam’s arm roughly and held it down. Tam struggled but he couldn’t get free. Vashkar grunted and swung the weapon with expertise. When he let go of Tam’s arm, Tam stared at his hand in disbelief. It was only when Vashkar had calmly left the room that Tam started to scream. A pitiful stump was all that was left of his right pinkie finger.
Who knows how long he sat there, staring at it, tears streaming down his face and blood pooling on the carpet? After what seemed ten years the door opened. The little girl who had brought him the soup looked in.
She made a small noise of disapproval when she saw what had happened, and the small pool of blood on the floor, but she did not seem surprised. She looked sympathetically at Tam, and then disappeared.
Half an hour later, the girl returned, and she brought a man with her. She pointed to Tam and ran from the room, pulling the door shut behind her.
The doctor did not look very qualified to be a doctor. His hair was disheveled and he was older than Tam’s great-grandfather. His clothes were not very clean, and there was no reason to suspect that his bandages were any cleaner. He looked at the blood, looked at Tam, and muttered something that sounded like, “Sailors.â€
He crossed the room, picked up a pitcher of water, and dumped it over Tam’s hand in what Tam could only interpret as an attempt to clean the wound, or, more likely, to make the boy stop crying, because what actually happened was that Tam got absolutely soaking wet, and the room was suddenly awash with water.
The man disregarded this, and pulled from his coat pocket a roll of bandages, which he wrapped around Tam’s poor hand until it was almost as big as the boy’s head.
“There,†he muttered, while Tam sat on the wet floor, still in shock. “That’ll be four gold pieces.â€
Tam stared at his hand stupidly. He looked up at the man with a look of confusion on his face.
“Four gold pieces,†the old man repeated slowly.
“I don’t have any gold.†Tam said dully.
The man stared at the boy with growing anger on his face. “You filthy brat! That was the last of my best medical bandages!â€
Tam swallowed the observation that they had not looked like medical bandages. “Sorry,†he muttered.
The doctor’s face grew very red and suddenly he lunged at Tam, who tried to get away from the man but was instead tackled and held to the ground. The doctor savagely tried to rip the bloody bandages off Tam’s hand. Anger surged through Tam and a word phrase came to his mind. “Flamula Infenso Pilusâ€
Instantly, the doctor’s hair was ablaze. The man screamed in terror and ran from the room.
Tam looked cautiously at his hand. It was not damaged; the bandage was only slightly ripped. A few angry shouts were heard down the hall and Tam had a feeling that he wouldn’t be wanted anymore in the tavern. Without a backward glance, Tam went out the back door of the building and into the streets.
He ran, his hand throbbing faintly and words of power tumbling through his mind. It was all he could do, in the face of the pain and fear and hatred – such definite feelings, and welcome as respite from the constant uncertainty – not to yell them out, to burn the town to the ground, and himself with it. Something was wrong, something had happened, and Tam, in this strange confident state, could not see it. His feet carried him closer to the harbor, where he knew he would find the Sea Roc, and Captain Pye, and Ren, and the rest of the crew. And he would be safe there, safe from – there was a surge of pain through his hand, and a surge of realization through his mind. Them, he thought, and then the remains of rebellion and confidence drained away, leaving nothing but guilt and a deep, nagging, fear that something had gone wrong and it was all his fault. They were manipulating him still. Would he ever be free?
Ren was awakened from his much-needed nap by a noise that at first, in his sleep-befuddled state, he could not identify. “Mmmm,†he mumbled. “Mustadozedoffsorry.†When the noise persisted, he said, louder and with more clarity, “I’m getting up. You don’t have to set off cannon in my ears.†With this half-asleep realization, Ren sat bolt upright and wide awake. “Cannon!†he gasped, horrified. “Oh no!†With a blatant disregard for the various stormmaster’s implements still scattered throughout the cabin, he rushed onto the deck.
It was not cannon, only muskets, and that was bad enough. A badly aimed musket ball whizzed past his cheek as he stepped onto the deck. He coughed at the harsh acrid smell of alchemical powder, and stood there blinking in the bright afternoon sun.
“Idiot!†hissed the first mate from Ren’s right, where he sat crouched beneath a bulwark. “Get down!â€
Ren did as he was told, and scooted across the deck on his stomach. “What’s going on?†he asked the first mate.
“The harbor patrol had the brilliant idea to attack the pirates with muskets! I don’t know what put it into their heads, but there must be some reason. They usually leave us alone, since pirates make up the majority of the people who actually come to the Free Isles.â€
“Oh,†said Ren, sighing with relief. He had been sure that it was the Empire, for a moment or two. Not that the harbor patrol was that much better.
The first mate continued. “I want you to go to the Captain’s cabin. Niria and the cabin boy are already there.â€
Ren opened his mouth to protest at being shoved out of the way, but remembered that the first mate was in charge, and almost surrendered. He remembered his own status in time. “But sir-†he said. “I’m the powder monkey. Oughtn’t I to be doing something?â€
The first mate shook his head angrily. “Powder monkey, indeed. You don’t still believe that, do you? You’re just in the way. Now GO!â€
Ren obeyed without another word.
“Oh, it’s you,†said Niria coldly when Ren entered the room. She was sitting in a chair by Captain Pye’s bed, her face hard but her eyes frightened. When she saw Ren she turned away, a gesture that cut Ren to the quick. The sounds of the battle grew louder. They must have begun using cannon as well.
“Yes,†he mumbled. “Me.â€
Arn leaped up from where he was sitting on the floor, and ran over to the other boy. “What’s going on?†he asked. “Who’s shooting at us? Why aren’t we allowed to help?â€
“The harbor patrol,†explained Ren. “Supposedly we’re too young and would just get in the way.â€
Arn’s expression grew dark, like a thunderstorm over the sea, and he, too, turned away from Ren. “The Captain would have let us help,†he muttered.
Ren had never felt worse.
But he didn’t have much time to feel bad, because there was suddenly a crunching sound from above, and someone yelled, and then the cabin door burst inward.
For a moment or two nothing more happened. No threatening figure strode through the gap, and the sound of fighting disappeared altogether. Ren, Niria, and Arn exchanged glances. Then Arn crossed the floor in one bound and leaped through the open door. With a guilty look at Niria, Ren followed.
The deck was a horrible mess. The mast had come down and nearly crushed a sailor. The deck was awash with blood and water, and not one of the crew of the Sea Roc was to be seen.
“Oh my,†said a faint voice from behind them. Niria had followed them onto the deck, and was staring with wide eyes at the carnage.
“No one’s left,†said Ren hollowly.
“That’s not true,†said a firm voice from the galley. “There are a lot of people left, but most of them are injured.â€
“Vushtek!†cried Arn. “You’re still alive!â€
“Yes,†said Vushtek gravely. “But you should leave now.â€
“Why leave?†Niria asked. “It’s over, and you’ll need help.â€
“It’s not over,†said Vushtek. “That wasn’t the harbor patrol, and they aren’t gone. I can’t leave the injured like this, but we can’t take chances.†At this he looked straight at Ren, and Ren wondered exactly how much the alchooktor knew. “Niria, you will take the boys to the city, and stay there.†Niria nodded mutely.
“Then go,†Vushtek said.
The three escapees crept carefully across the carnage on the vast deck of the Sea Roc. They made it to the bow of the ship with little difficulty and peered over the side. A line of soldiers stood on the dock in front of them. Each soldier was dressed smartly in a black uniform with a shiny badge on his chest. Ren watched them with growing unease. The faces of the men were so cold and emotionless that they seemed unreal.
Niria motioned impatiently for him to follow her lead and he turned to watch what she was doing. With unimaginable stealth, Niria slid under the ship’s railing and onto the side. Using handholds that were invisible to Ren, she climbed down into the water with not even a slight splash. Arn was already in the water, waiting for her. The two stared at Ren expectantly and he wondered what in the world he was going to do.
With a sigh, Ren braced himself and lowered himself clumsily over the side of the Sea Roc. His muscles strained as he searched frantically for a foothold. Finding none, he looked desperately over his shoulder. Niria and Arn were looking up at him in alarm. Ren scanned the side of the ship for a place that would assist him in his climb and saw a slight protrusion in one of the panels covering the ship to his right. Just as Ren rested his weight on the plank, the whole ship shuddered. Ren’s hands were violently thrown away from their hold and he fell with a loud splash into the harbor.
The trio watched in horror as the soldiers who had been standing silently moments before went into action. The attack on the Sea Roc had resumed! Niria determinedly tore her gaze away from the scene and motioned for everyone to swim away from the battle.
Among all of the harbor patrol, no one noticed the three escapees except one lone monkey. It wore a grave expression on its face, even for a primate, as it bounded away to report to its master.
Vushtek stood guard determinedly over Captain Pye. The battle was not doing well for the crew. They were quickly losing the few men they had left. It would be only a matter of time before the ship was breached. Vushtek breathed slightly easier knowing that Niria and the others had escaped. At least Niria was safe.
There was a groan from the Captain’s bed and Vushtek ran to his side, alarmed. Captain Pye smiled weakly and patted Vushtek’s large scarred hand.
“Are they gone?†Pye asked.
Vushtek nodded slowly. He knew that Captain Pye was attached to the boy Ren, even though it had been the boy that had left him in this sickly state.
The Captain smiled painfully and relaxed. Vushtek returned to his post at the Captain’s cabin door.
Outside, things were not going well. The dwindling amount of men was turning disastrous. Vushtek braced himself as the several patrol men climbed aboard the Sea Roc. The men were immediately taken down by some of the remaining crew, but even more of the harbor patrol took the place of the dead. It wasn’t long before the entire deck was covered with fighting men.
Over the entire melee, Vushtek’s eyes only saw one man. The man wasn’t hard to miss because of his bright violet hair. He held his muscular body in a commanding way as he strode toward Vushtek. This man would NOT hurt Captain Pye. Vushtek’s eyes gleamed with the light of battle as he shouldered his axe. He had been around weaponry all his life. He didn’t even need to glance at his belt to know that his collection of butcher knives where hanging at his side.
The violet haired man noticed Vushtek’s reaction and drew his sword. With a yell, Vushtek lunged forward and butted the man in the face with the head of his axe. Blood streamed from the man’s broken nose and he slashed Vushtek’s shoulder in his anger. The attack continued furiously. The man kept trying to trick Vushtek into turning his back to the door of to the Captain’s cabin, but Vushtek kept defying him, much to the man’s anger.
Vushtek had been so preoccupied with the battle that he hadn’t noticed that the ship had become strangely quiet. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the remaining harbor patrol standing to attention on the deck. All of the other pirates were either dead or captured and tied to the mast. Vushtek’s attacks were now filled with the strength of desperation.
Suddenly, a powerful force hit him from behind and he fell to the ground. His hands were instantly bound by a clear, water-like rope. Vushtek chanced a look behind him and saw a man in a long dark cloak. He seemed to flow as he walked toward the violet haired man.
Vushtek’s eyes grew wide with recognition. The cloaked man stopped and kneeled at the feet of the man Vushtek had been fighting moments before.
“Master,†he said in a gurgly whisper. “The Fiery One has escaped with two others. They are headed toward the town.â€
The violet haired man glanced at his servant, alarmed. He strode past Vushtek into the cabin but came back shortly with a scowl on his face.
“It’s just the captain! You are right my faithful servant, this battle has been for nothing. The boy is gone.â€
“You are a fool Vashkar!†Vushtek yelled up at his captor. “Do you seriously think that Mordran will give you all the you desire? You are but a puppet in his hands, that he can dispose of whenever he wants!â€
Vashkar looked down at Vushtek with disgust on his face. He turned to one of his commanders and said, “Take a force down to the village. Three crewmen have escaped the ship. One of them is a boy who goes by the name of Ren Splayr. Capture this boy alive and bring him to me. Kill the others.â€
Vushtek’s eyes grew wide with anger. With a yell, he lunged at Vashkar, but the wave spirit was quicker. Vushtek had no chance. He fell face down on the deck of the Sea Roc, his eyes empty in death.
Ren followed Niria and Arn through the streets of Jartuvi. He had no idea where they were going. He only knew that they were looking for a safe place where the Empire couldn’t find them. Arn pointed to a small tavern on the street and they walked inside. A gruff looking bartender stood at the counter and Niria went up to talk to him. Ren and Arn sat at a table and waited for her. The barman listened patiently for a while and then left for the back room.
Niria turned to them and shrugged. “He said that he needed to get something for our room in the kitchen.â€
After several minutes, the man returned with a little girl. He sent her up a flight of stairs with some fresh sheets, supposedly for their room.
The bartender turned to the trio and said, “I suppose that you would like some drinks to calm yourselves after your journey.â€
He rolled up his sleeves and looked at them expectantly. The three escapees however, were more interested in the tattoo on his arm instead of what he had to drink. Niria declined stiffly and steered the boys out of the bar. They strode briskly away from the bar with nervous expressions on their faces.
“When we reach the corner, run as if your life depends on it, because it does.†Niria muttered under her breathe.
Ren would have done just that, had it not been for the hordes of harbor patrolmen waiting for them around the bend. At their head stood a tall man in a black cloak. Letor.
“Oh no,†said Niria, her eyes not on Letor, but a smaller and more hunched figure standing behind the wave-spirit. “This is bad, very bad. Getting worse every moment.â€
Ren and Arn glanced at her questioningly, but she said nothing. Her eyes, however, seemed to hold the light of hope, of a plan, and Ren relaxed ever so faintly.
“When I say so,†Niria murmured, “we are going to head back in the direction of the bar and go right in. Don’t worry about the bartender, because he’s whole lot less dangerous than the people who are looking at us right now. I can deal with him.â€
Niria smiled confidently. Her plan was flawless. It could not fail.
“Good work, Scrimage!†she said triumphantly, “We have them exactly where we want them!â€
Letor stiffened and glanced over his shoulder. Scrimage, the man who Niria had noticed before, seemed to shrink before Letor’s gaze.
Niria’s satisfaction grew. Everything had played into her hands, even the alignment of each captain’s troops. Letor, being the self-absorbed being that he was, couldn’t stand any troops but his own to march at the front of a formation. Consequently, all of the soldiers following Scrimage were forced to march at the back. This meant that all of Letor’s troops were trapped between Scrimage’s followers and Niria, along with Arn and Ren. Letor knew that he could possibly be in BIG trouble.
Scrimage probably noticed this too and his eyes grew as big as saucers. “No!†he squeaked. “There must be a mistake! I wouldn’t… I’d never…â€
Letor’s eyes gleamed underneath his hood. “I knew the empire should have never trusted you! I knew that you were always really working for…†he paused hesitantly and hissed, “THEMâ€.
Scrimage trembled and a bead of sweat dribbled down his cheek.
Letor advanced toward Scrimage threateningly, saying, “Why else would you have given the enemy a copy of the Orb? Well, you won’t get away with it this time!†An evil grin twisted across Letor’s face. “I’ve been waiting for the moment to get rid of you for a long time!â€
Scrimage shook his head and tried to stop Letor, but with to avail. Letor merely muttered a word under his breath and Scrimage exploded like a popped balloon.
This action created a surge through out the men. With a roar of anger, the troops turned on each other. The street was instantly transformed into a confusing mass of enraged soldiers. Clearly forgotten, Niria, Ren, and Arn quietly slipped away from the battle.
Ren followed Niria and Arn out of Jartuvi’s busy streets and into the tavern that had been originally their first stop. The barman looked up at them uncertainly from the counter as they sat down at a table close by.
What had just happened finally seemed to dawn on Ren and he sank heavily into a chair. “Wow.†he commented.
Niria nodded her head understandingly. “I agree,†she said, a little louder then usual. “It was a pity that Scrimage perished, but at least the plan ran smoothly. They did, after all, fall directly into our hands.â€
Niria glared at Ren and Arn, demanding them to pick up on what she was doing.
The two boys had to stare at her for several moments before they got a vague idea of what was going on. Arn was the first to react.
“Yeah!†he exclaimed with a loud laugh, “Did you see the look on Letor’s face? He was furious! Who wouldn’t be after having half their troops destroyed in a surprise attack that was thought up by a few teenagers? I feel sorry for the spy that was “smart†enough to give him the information about our whereabouts!â€
Ren hid a grin at the look on the bartender’s face.
Niria smiled and motioned for the rest of them to leave for their room.
Ren heard a knock at their door an hour later. He paused and opened the door a small crack. The barman and the little girl they had seen earlier were standing in front of him. Reluctantly, Ren opened the door wider and gestured for the man and his daughter to come into the room.
The man strode gravely into the room and studied the faces of the three fugitives in front of him. Ren did not know how he should react to this man. He knew that the barman was a spy working for the empire, but he also knew that the man was only trying to make a living like everyone else.
The spy took a deep breath and began, “I know your situation with the empire. I also know that it will not be a good idea for you to remain in this area for much longer. Therefore, I have arranged for you to join up with a group of pirates who are by chance leaving shortly. They are similar to the last crew you were traveling with, seeing as they have an enormous price on their heads. I have no doubt that these fiends will assist you in your quest.â€
A long shocked silence stretched over several minutes. Ren frowned suspiciously. “What’s the catch?†he asked.
The barman shuffled his feet shyly and continued, “I can not stay here. The empire is angry with me. It is best that I go into hiding.†At this, he took his eyes off his grubby feet and stared, pleading with them. “I am a failed parent, the places that I will be forced to go are not places for a little girl. I could not possibly put her in danger. I have given you a chance of escape from the empire, in return, you will care for my daughter.â€
Ren’s eyes widened in alarm, though it was nothing compared to the expression on Niria’s face. She looked like was going to refuse, even though this was their only chance to avoid the empire. Ren quickly intervened and nodded gratefully.
“Of course, your daughter will be safe with us.†he said forcefully.
The barman smiled thankfully and left with his daughter. Ren nervously avoided making eye contact with Niria. He knew that she was furious with him.
The pirate ship lay silent and majestic in the harbor sails furled. The flag was not flying from the masthead, and had it not been for the bartender’s assurance that this was the one, Ren would never have suspected that it was a pirate ship.
The bartender’s daughter let out a tiny sob at the sight of the man who came down the gangplank. Neither Ren nor Arn could comfort her, given their own feelings, and Niria uncomfortably leaned down to squeeze the little girl’s hand. “It’s alright,†she whispered, “and then stood up again.
The man was indeed frightening; his black hair was cropped short on his head but allowed to grow long on his chin, and where there had been streaks of silver, now there were streaks of crimson. He was dressed in a navy uniform, dyed the same black and red as his beard, and around his waist and across his chest and probably in his boots too were weapons. Knives, swords, pistols, and every other imaginable death-dealing object hung in plain view. Unlike the ship, this man made no attempt to conceal the fact that he was a pirate. His eyes were harder than granite, and a similar color, and when he came close enough, Ren realized with a shock that the smell of alchemical powder that had permeated the quay came from the pirate. He felt ill, and wished to be anywhere but there. Arn, on the other hand, was gazing up at the man with something akin to worship in his eyes. Ren turned away.
Niria drew herself up to her full height, and spoke to the pirate. “We wish to speak to the captain of this vessel,†she said clearly.
The man looked coldly at her. “I am he.â€
Though Ren had no doubt that it was not normal procedure for a pirate captain to come and talk to people on the quayside himself, he was relieved that this was the captain, and that no one worse would be coming out of the ship. To judge by Niria’s expression, she was feeling much the same way as him.
She recovered her composure and said, “Since our own ship was destroyed by the harbor patrol, we are looking for a place on another.â€
“I see,†said the captain. “And you hope it will be this one.â€
Niria was about to speak, but Arn got there first. “Yes, sir!†he said, his face shining as though lit by a candle from within. The captain ignored him. Niria resumed her speech.
“I am a waveworker,†she said, “and the boys can both work.†When the captain made no move to accept, she began to clutch at straws. The straw she grabbed hold of first was perhaps the most effective. She lowered her voice considerably and put her hands over the little girl’s ears. Then she said, “We were on the Sea Roc, under Octavio Pye. The Krakeneater has been captured or killed, we cannot say which. But there was something he was looking for, a great treasure, and it is kept on the Blood Storm, which you surely know of. We must get that thing, and I assure you, when we do, you shall have a share.†To indicate that her speech was finished, she removed her hands from the girl’s ears.
The captain looked at her a long while, and then he said, “Come along then. But remember, I must get my share.â€
Somewhere far away, there were shouts and sounds of battle. Tam half-turned, but thought better of it and walked onward. He would go to the harbor and find the Sea Roc. Whether the Captain and crew would forgive him or not, he didn’t know, but he couldn’t go back to Mordran . . . His bandaged hand throbbed slightly, and he shook his head vigorously. If he had not borne a grudge towards the Empire before, he did now.
Then, as suddenly and as welcome as the sun breaking out of the clouds, the damp and smelly little alley opened up, and Tam found himself standing on the quay. The Sea Roc was not there. But then, that was understandable, seeing as she hadn’t been tied up in the first place, but anchored in the harbor.
But she wasn’t there either. Tam began to panic. They had sailed away without him! They had never known he was there.
Tam stared despairingly out at the idyllic harbor scene. Idyllic to anyone else looking on, but to the boy, it was something out of a nightmare.
He turned away. It was no good. He would have to go back to Mordran and the Empire after all, assuming they would take him back after what had happened.
Tam could not give up. He wandered aimlessly through the docks, looking desperately for any sign of The Sea Roc. He found none. The crowd at the docks slowly dwindled away and soon Tam found himself alone among the ships. It was only then that Tam noticed that the sun had disappeared over the horizon. What could he do? His only choice now would be to return to the empire. Suddenly, Tam saw a man up ahead. Perhaps he would know where the ship was docked! He caught the man’s eye and hurried toward him. All hope was not lost!
Jaroff leaned casually against a pole by the dock. It was his turn to take watch over the front of his ship, The Wavebreaker, in case there were any unwanted visitors. He doubted there would be. It was starting to get late and no one in their right mind would be wandering around the docks at this time of night. Well, maybe there were a few nutcases around. A boy had just walked into Jaroff’s line of vision.
Jaroff immediately disliked the boy. He was pale, as if he had never seen the light of day. It didn’t help that the boy looked as though he had no idea where he was going, a suspicious character.
It seemed that the boy had noticed Jaroff as well because he strode determinedly toward him. Jaroff scowled. The boy’s attitude was exactly like that of a noble’s. Jaroff despised nobles.
“Do you know where the ship called the Sea Roc is docked?†the “noble†asked commandingly.
Jaroff tried his best not to show his alarm. The boy was looking for the Sea Roc?! But that ship was now taken over by the empire! So, this little brat really WAS working for them! Anger boiled up in Jaroff’s stomach when he thought of the empire unexpectedly attacking the Sea Roc when the ship’s captain was injured. This was only yet another grudge he held against his country’s cursed government. Jaroff did not stop to think. He was determined that this little empire rat would not live to hurt anyone else.
“No,†he replied coolly, as his hand slid towards his belt, where a sharp dagger lay in its sheath, looking harmless. “I have no idea where she’s docked right now. I do know, though, that most of her crew is probably dead, and it’s in the hands of Empire scum – like you.†He had always wanted to say that to someone from the Empire, and as this brat was going to die within minutes, it didn’t matter what he heard.
Tam staggered back as though struck, and gasped, “I’m not!†But then the dagger sliced through the air, and Tam found that his eye was a mere inch away from a very sharp point.
“Don’t lie, empire scum,†hissed Jaroff, “or I’ll kill you slowly, not quick like I mean to.†The point withdrew, but now it was pointed at Tam’s throat, and a strong brown hand was firmly locked around a pale thin wrist. Tam let out a tiny sob of despair.
“Don’t kill me,†he said pleadingly. “I’m not from the Empire. I’m from the Sea Roc.â€
Jaroff’s hard expression did not alter. “Then you’re a deserter,†he said. “And deserve to die as much as the Emperor himself. You might even be the one to have betrayed the Sea Roc yourself. If I was going to believe that, at least, and I don’t think I am.†The point was pressed against Tam’s neck a little harder. Not hard enough to draw blood, but hard enough for only a little more pressure to break into the vein.
Tam closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable death. At last I’ll be free from the Unknowables and the Empire then, he thought, and his mouth twisted slightly. It came to this, then. He was willing to accept Death for a little piece of quiet. What a mess.
But the fatal cut never came, and Death did not relieve Tam of his troubles.
“Jaroff!†said a hard voice. “What are you doing, man?â€
The dagger dropped away from Tam’s throat, but the grip on his wrist did not lessen. “Killing this boy, sir,†came Jaroff’s steady reply. “He’s from the Empire, looking for the Sea Roc.â€
Tam wanted to insist that he wasn’t, but suddenly he was too scared to speak. The figure now looming over him was enough to make a braver man than Tam feel weak at the knees.
“How do you know?†asked the captain of the Wavebreaker, stroking his black-and-red beard.
Jaroff stiffened. “Don’t you think, sir,†he said reproachfully, “that I can tell a ’servant of the empire’ as well as the next man? He looks like it, sir. Acts like it, too.â€
Tam was astonished. This Jaroff dared to talk back to his captain! Tam would have thrown himself overboard rather than attract the anger of this man with so many weapons.
“Yes,†said the captain of the Wavebreaker. “I agree. But what did you intend to do with the body?â€
Tam shuddered to hear his imminent death spoken of so lightly.
Jaroff was still. “I don’t know, sir.â€
“It will be noticed, if you aren’t careful. We will take this boy as a prisoner, and what we do with him later will be decided later. Come. And bring him with you.†And he turned and strode back onto the ship.
The thought of escape had not even occurred to Tam until he had reached the deck of the pirate’s ship. Unfortunately, Jaroff seemed to notice his reaction. Before Tam could turn and run, Jaroff slammed his fist into the boys head. Tam saw stars and collapsed on the deck.
It felt good to be on a ship again, although a month ago he would have never admitted it. Ren grinned at Arn, who was swabbing the deck beside him. Arn returned his grin and continued working with renewed vigor.
The two had almost finished when a shadow stretched across the deck. The shadow belonged to the captain, whose name was known as Sharpnose, due to his rather large nose. Niria stood nervously behind him. Apparently this was important, because Niria was hardly ever allowed to leave her post as waveworker.
The captain motioned for them to follow him and he strode off across the ship. “New circumstances have developed on this ship,†he explained. “We have recently gotten a prisoner on board. He claims that he used to be a crewman on the “Sea Rocâ€.
Niria, Ren and Arn all seemed to stop walking at the same time. They stared at Sharpnose as if he had just muttered a death sentence, then they ran full speed to the brig. They threw open the prison door and stared in disappointment at the figure hunched miserably inside. There was no large tricorn-hatted, it wasn’t a strong, plump, cook, instead, it was a pale boy with a heavily bandaged hand. The boy lifted his head up and looked as if he wanted to speak, but he would have only been talking to a closed door. Niria had slammed the door in his face.
“Well?†asked Sharpnose. “Is he from the Sea Roc?â€
“Yes,†said Niria shortly. Sharpnose waited. Niria still said nothing.
“And what do you wish us to do with him? Let him go free? Execute him?â€
Niria’s eyes widened; Ren gasped. Even Arn looked slightly taken aback.
“He is a traitor?†questioned Sharpnose.
“Yes,†said Niria, looking away. “He is that.â€
“So shall we execute him?â€
Niria did not seem able to talk. Ren thought of Tam’s terrified expression, thought of him rushing through the trees to join the Empire’s men, and then he thought of being totally alone, the only one in all of Sphaere who had the power to work the Orb of Centaur.
“NO!†he yelled.
Sharpnose turned his hard eyes on the boy.
“Don’t kill him,†said Ren, feebly. “He’s got . . . he’s got to be kept alive. Captain Pye had a plan for him.â€
Tam shivered uncontrollably. The joy he once had when he had seen Ren was gone. In it’s place was an overwhelming dread. Ren had not been at all happy to see him. Everything had gone wrong. What would become of him now? Tam shuddered and surrendered his body to sleep.
Tam ran blindly in terror. Menacing shadows danced around him and he let out a bloodcurdling shriek. The fear was strong, so strong. Something grabbed his leg. Tam flailed and lost his balance, but did not hit the ground. Instead, he fell and fell through a dark, never-ending chasm. He heard distant voices calling to him at the bottom of the deep pit.
“The dark has taken us!†they cried. “Help us, lest you are taken as well!â€
Tam cried out and covered his ears, frantically trying to shut them out, but they persisted.
“Release us!†they commanded. “Free us from the dark! This task has been yours since the beginning of time. It is now the moment to act!â€
Tam panicked. The bottom was near; he could sense it! He twisted desperately around in midair and groped for some kind of handhold, but he found none.
“Do not be a fool, Tam,†another voice hissed. “Do not be a fool to choose death.â€
Tam’s eyes widened in horror; a shadow moved below him as Tam neared the ground. He screamed. He was about to die.
Ren jolted awake. His skin still prickled eerily after the glimpse of a stray dream he had just witnessed. He had seen Tam falling and . . . what was that thing? Whatever it was, it intrigued him. He guessed that Tam had been having these dreams for a long time. Well, if Tam was not going to act on them, then Ren would. He was going to get down to the bottom of this!
Ren slipped quietly out of his hammock and strode purposefully toward the brig. He opened the prison door with a slight creek and looked in. Tam was huddled up against the walls helplessly. After several hushed moments, Ren decided that Tam had not noticed that he was there, so he leaned over Tam’s still form and whispered, “Tam.â€
Tam jerked up abruptly and stared at Ren hopefully. “Ren.†Tam exclaimed breathlessly. “I was so afraid that you had abandoned me. I . . .â€
Tam’s voice died away as he looked at Ren. “No.†he said bitterly. “I do not know how, but you have seen my dream. I can see it your eyes. You have seen the endless torment that follows me wherever I go.â€
Ren watched in astonishment as he saw Tam withdraw into himself before Ren’s own eyes. He had never seen anyone so despairing in his life.
“Tam.†he insisted. “What does it mean?â€
Tam moaned and shook his head. “I do not know.†he groaned. “I do not know. They torment me, always torment me. Never can I escape, never. I’m trapped. I’m TRAPPED!†His last word was a fierce shriek and Tam jumped to his feet. Ren stared at him with growing concern on his face.
Tam now proceeded to shout into the thin air. It was as if Ren was no longer there.
“Who are these beings in your dreams?†Ren asked quietly.
“THEM!!†Tam screamed. “Who knows their name? They are those who are unknown. The unknown ones are forced away from this earth, so they must settle to destroy my spirit instead of my body. They are trying to DESTROY me!!†With a sob, Tam covered his face in despair.
“But, what do they want with you? What can you do for them?†Ren asked curiously.
Tam stared at Ren wildly for the first time during his rant. Ren shivered, for the look on Tam’s face was filled with pure hatred for those who tormented him. “They offer me peace and life but I know that the only thing that awaits me is death. DEATH! I will NOT do it! The Unknowables wish for me to bring them back to this world in which they were born but I am not a fool. They were banished by the clever one to a dark place and it is there that they will remain. They threaten me! HA! They are no one! They are the lost! What power do they have to send me to dwell in their dark domain! They have none! NONE!â€
Tam proceeded to laugh maniacally and Ren turned and left Tam alone once more in the dark.
“Arn,†hissed Ren. “Arn! Where’s Niria?â€
Arn rolled over, the hammock swinging wildly underneath him. “What? Niria?†he mumbled. “What’s th’ matter?â€
“Tam’s gone mad!†said Ren. “I went to see him, because there was a dream-†he stopped short. Arn was looking at him as though he was mad.
“A dream? What are you talking about, Ren?â€
“Never mind,†said Ren hastily. “But do you know where Niria is?â€
“She got her own cabin ’cause she’s a girl, only she has to share with the kid.†Arn swung himself out of the hammock, fully clothed, and pulled on his cheap sandals. “C’mon, I’ll show you.â€
Niria’s cabin was a tiny room the size of a closet, that was tacked onto the Stormmaster’s cabin. Ren and Arn held their breaths as thy passed the Stormmaster’s sleeping form, but they located Niria’s door with no difficulty, and slipped into blackness worse than the starlit night outside.
Ren was almost into Niria’s room when Arn stopped so abruptly that it was all Ren could do to stifle a cry. Peering over Arn shoulder, Ren saw the strangest sight he had ever seen.
Niria lay upon the bed of the barman’s daughter. The little girl had obviously been upset because there were tear stains on her cheeks. Niria was humming softly and rocking the young girl’s head back and forth.
Ren was amazed. This was the girl who had despised him for weeks? He had never seen this side of her! Ren and Arn lurked in the door of Niria’s cabin until the barmen’s daughter was asleep and Niria had stood up form the bed.
Arn knocked comically on the door and strode into the room as if he had just arrived. Niria stiffened self-consciously and nodded a greeting.
Arn took a deep breath. “Ren told me that he needs to tell you something.†he motioned to Ren nervously. Obviously, Arn knew that Niria had little pathience for Ren.
Ren fidgeted awkwardly and began.
“Tam’s gone mad,†he said.
Niria’s expression did not change. She twitched her right index finger, however, in a manner that Ren interpreted as “go on.â€
Ren sat on the bed with his hands beneath him. Niria eyed him icily as he took this liberty, but Ren didn’t notice. He was to busy trying to marshal his tumbled thoughts into a coherent sentence.
“I was getting scraps of his dreams,†he said cautiously.
Niria raised her eyebrows, and Arn let out a whistle. The bartender’s daughter stirred in her sleep.
Niria looked daggers at Arn, who bit his lip and mimed, “sorry.â€
Ren, feeling some explanation was needed, said, “Tam and I are . . . different. Some people have alchemical talent and some people have water power and some people have wind power.â€
Here Niria closed her eyes and a pained expression crossed her features. Ren plowed on. “Tam and me have FIRE power. We’re the only two people that do have fire power, and that’s why Captain Pye-†he faltered.
“Never mind about Octavio Pye,†said Niria harshly. “I know your unique powers. Get to the point.â€
Ren blushed furiously. “Well,†he hastily, “I got Tam’s dream, and it was really scary. So I went to see Tam, and he was MAD! Really crazy! He said the Unknowables-†Ren stopped. “I think he said the Unknowables kept telling him to restore them to their old power, but he won’t do it, because they’ve been torturing him. So he’s just making it worse for himself, and he’s going mad.â€
“Ah,†said Niria.
Silence.
“I think we need the Orb of Centaur,†said Ren uncertainly, when the quiet became torturous.
“Yes,†said Niria. “Yes.â€
It wasn’t until after the second silence, longer than the first, that Ren noticed an emptiness in the air next to him. Arn was gone.
Neither Niria nor Arn said anything for a moment, but then fear both for and of the cabin boy surged through Ren, and he turned panic-stricken features on Niria, who looked equally terrified.
“I think we can trust Arn,†she said, but her voice was dry and she got to feet. “But we might want to find him anyway.â€
Ren could not have agreed more. He sneaked a glance at Niria as they crept softly out of the tiny cabin, and she returned it with none of the hatred she usually directed toward him. It was driven out of her mind by concern.
Arn stood outside the captain’s cabin, his heart thumping a thousand times a minute. There was no noise from within, but that didn’t mean Sharpnose was not inside, waiting to leap on young thieves. I’m a thief, Arn realized, and without further ado he pushed open the heavy oak door.
The cabin was as silent inside as out. Sharpnose was slumped across a table, fast asleep. A tidy stack of charts lay at his elbow, and a compass.
Arn’s breath left his body with a slow whoosh, and his muscles relaxed. No worries here. He would get a knife, do the deed, and go back to bed. No one would know until the morning, and Niria, if not Ren, was sure to agree with him. No one would care much if a traitor died, and they would be safer without an Empire spy on the ship.
He crossed the room with exaggerated care, never making a sound, and stood by the pirate captain, looking for the perfect weapon-preferably one that Sharpnose wouldn’t feel being removed from his person.
Ren shivered uncomfortably. They had searched to no avail. Arn was nowhere to be seen. Niria shook her head wearily for the tenth time in the last hour.
“He’s not here either.†she lamented. “That can only leave one more possibility.â€
Ren looked up at her abruptly. “What do you mean?â€
Niria scowled at Ren and said, “He’s with Tam.â€
With that, she whirled around and headed toward the brig. Ren followed her hastily.
Tam didn’t know what to think. Ren had come to see him hadn’t he? That meant that Ren cared about him, right? Tam shivered uncontrollably. He reminded himself that it wasn’t he, himself that Ren cared about, it was about the dream that they had shared. Ren’s reaction had frightened Tam. Ren hadn’t seemed frightened of the Unknowables, in fact, he had seemed enthusiastic about them!
Tam jolted out of his thoughts at the sound of a silent creaking of a door hinge. A shadow moved in the dark and Tam craned his neck to see.
“Ren?†he called.
Arn cursed himself inwardly. The door to the brig was old and not used to being opened regularly. He should have guessed that it would make a slight noise. Perhaps…no, he had been heard. A figure stirred in the darkness and called out. Arn closed his eyes momentarily. He couldn’t stop to think. If he did, then he might back out. Arn squared his shoulders and stepped into the shadows.
Niria jogged desperately across the ship’s deck. She feared the worst for Arn. Niria had almost reached the brig when she heard a voice, “Ren?â€
Niria looked over her shoulder and saw Ren clumsily trying to keep up with her. This would have been a laughing matter, had the situation not been so serious. She turned back toward the noise and barely glimpsed Arn’s receding figure walking into the prison.
“Arn!†she cried, alarmed.
She ran toward the dark jail cell. A surprised gasp was heard from inside and Niria closed her eyes, expecting the worst. A strange sight awaited her.
When Niria stepped inside the brig, she did not see Tam lying dead on the ground and Arn standing guiltily over him. Instead, she saw the captain, Sharpnose, grunting and holding Arn in a forceful headlock. Ren came in, puffing, behind her and stared in surprise at the scene before them.
Sharpnose pried a knife out of Arn’s hand and cleaned it expertly on his nightshirt. The captain motioned toward Arn and said, “Your friend here stole my knife. That was a mistake.†he twirled his knife expertly in his hand. “Your friend also tried to kill an innocent and unarmed victim. That was another mistake.†he flipped his knife into the air and caught it with ease. “Your friend will not make another mistake, yes?â€
Niria sucked in her breath, alarmed. Sharpnose took his knife in his hand and grabbed Arn’s head roughly. Ren moaned and Niria covered her face. With one swift stroke, Sharpnose chopped off the multitude of hair that Arn had been cultivating for months. Arn’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he slumped onto the floor in a faint.
Niria let out her breathe and knelt beside Arn worriedly. The captain merely shrugged and said, “Well, it was my best knife after all.†Sharpnose bent over Arn’s still form, picked him up, and carried him back to the forecastle.
Niria Tolmark lay in her bunk, trembling all over. The tense and frightening events of the night were making it impossible to sleep. The water slapped against the side of the Wavebreaker, and Niria’s power responded with a surge of longing. It had been ages since she’d worked the waves–three weeks? Four?
The bartender’s daughter shifted in her sleep, and Niria sighed. There would be no getting up to play with the sea while the girl slept. What a shame . . .
Niria’s eayes closed, and she sank into slumber.
The sun shone brightly on the top of Ren’s head as he scrubbed the deck, but there was nothing bright about his mood. For the past fortnight, he had been tomented nightly by Tam’s nightmares. It wasn’t FAIR! They weren’t his, and he shouldn’t have to bear them. But while the nightmares made Tam hate the Uknowables, they made Ren, looking at it from a different perspective, want even more to save them.
“What’s the matter, Ren?†asked Arn on his way across the heaving deck. He was growing out his hair again, and it reached below his ears. He had trimmed it with Niria’s knife (and without her knowledge) the day before, and was fond of swishing it around his ears.
“Nothing,†said Ren, trying to put on a cheerful face. After the last incident, he had not told Arn of the nightmares.
“Alright,†said Arn. He started across the deck again. Ren watched him and sighed. Arn was so carefree, as if he had never tried to murder an innocent man, never been near to death himself.
“Oh well,†he said, the words the opposite of his temper, and gave the deck an extra vicious scrub.
Niria bit her lip and leaned across the table. “That won’t work,†she objected. “We want to go south, towards Hermetopolis. I’m sure that’s where the Blood Storm is. I’m sure.â€
“You can’t be sure,†said the Stormmaster. “There is no way to be sure.â€
“Oh . . .†said Niria faintly. The man was right. She really didn’t know. But they had to go somewhere! As much as she hated to say it, she had to. “Sir . . . with all due respect . . .†She swallowed her words. Pirates never kept spies, that was for the dishonorable Empire, and it would be an insult indeed to imply that a pirate Stormmaster could send out his creatures of air or water to find an enemy ship.
Oh, Tzil, thought Niria miserably, under the stony gaze of the Wavebreaker’s Stormmaster. Why did you have to go, Tzil? You would understand.
Maybe. He hadn’t been entirely sound in those last moments. Sure, Niria hated Tam with a fiery passion herself, but to try to kill him was merely foolish! Anyone could tell the boy was brim-full of dangerously suppressed power.
Poor Tzil, thought Niria. Was he mad?
A small, scruffy girl scrubbed pointlessly at an old, cracked plate. It was no use. The grime had remained on the plate for too long. Whatever the gunk had once been, it was now perfectly molded into the dish. The girl shoved the plate onto the top of a steeply growing pile with disgust.
“Hey, Mute!†a nasally voice called from a back room, “I need a hand here!â€â€˜
“Mute†gratefully left the tower of dishes and shuffled into the cupboard to help the ship’s cook. The cook was a rather thin man with a large nose and several wispy strands of hair that hadn’t managed to fall out of his head yet. The young girl had to hide a laugh when she walked into the cupboard. The cook was trying to hold a box full of dried herbs that was twice his size. The man’s neck craned wildly over the box in an attempt to see her. This slight movement made the man sway precariously and his legs trembled as if they were about to collaspe.
“Mute†smiled and gently releived the ship’s cook of his burden. She carried the box into the main kitchen with only a small strain of exertion. The ship’s cook followed her, shaking his head.
“You young people!†he exclaimed. “You think that you’re immortal don’t you?! Well, you know what? Someday, you’re going to loose your strengh! Everything ages! Everything eventually dies! You just wait! You’ll see!â€
The girl smiled, amused. The cook could never rest unless he had something to rant about. “Mute†nodded at the cook agreeably. She knew that the cook could talk for hours if he thought that you disagreed with him.
The cook stared at her suspiciously but made no comment. Instead, he turned to the sink. “Oh my!†he said, “You haven’t finished the dishes!†“Mute†shook her head shyly. “Well, I suppose that I could finish them. Young people should be enjoying the outside anyway!†The girl grinned happily and thanked the old man. He waved her away and went to work. “Mute†skipped out the kitchen door and onto the deck. A whole evening of freedom! What fun!
A inviting ray of sun glinted merrily against the deck of the Wavebreaker. The eyes of the bartender’s daughter lit up and she ran past the hordes of busy sailors to the front of the ship. Her mouth open in a silent cry of joy, she leaned excitedly over the ship’s railing, letting the wind blow her hair behind her. There was no other feeling, none in the world, that was more wonderful then the feeling of the fresh, salty air of the ocean running through her body! She could stand there forever, and still be content if she had the chance. With this thought, the girl frowned and turned her back to the wind. No, she could never stay here forever, not when Papa was somewhere else, far away.
A movement in the distance caught her eye, and the girl turned back to look out over the sea. A large, black shape was flying toward the Wavebreaker at an intense speed. The imposing figure aproached, and ,to the girl’s amazement, it landed with a soft “thump†on the figurehead at the bow of the ship. The creature was a strange, somewhat unreal, form of raven. Without a moments hesitation, the bird sqawked and transformed into a shorthaired cat.
Her eyes expanded in both surprise and alarm and the girl opened her mouth to scream, yet, of course, she could not suceed in getting anything to excape her lips. The cat looked up and saw her. With an unexpected purr, it jumped up onto the railing the sidled up to the girl. It let out an amused “meow†and walked straight past her, flicking her lightly on the nose with it’s tail. With an annoying air of cockiness, it turned around, spat, and tranformed once more into a lizard. The creature skurried hurriedly out of sight.
The girl stood there, speechless, for several seconds before what had happened sank in. She jolted upright and ran toward the main part of the ship. She had to tell someone about what had just transpired!
Niria was lost for words. How could she possibly convince the Stormmaster to listen to her? However, Niria’s train of thought was stopped by a slight tugging on her sleeve. A young girl stood before her with an alarmed expression on her face. Niria bent down beside the girl with concern.
“Are you all right? Is something wrong?†Niria asked.
The girl nodded her head furiously and motioned toward the bow of the ship. Niria jogged worriedly in the general direction of where the girl had directed.
The sight that met Niria’s eyes was nothing like she’d had in mind. There was nothing there, nothing. Niria frowned and turned expectantly toward the girl, who had followed her. The little girl gave Niria a pleading look and attempted to make several complicated hand motions as an explanation.
Niria sighed and shook her head. She knew that the bartender’s daughter did not belong in a world of pirates and that she often got lonely. Niria bent down and took hold of the little girl’s shoulders.
“I’m sorry, but you know that I’m busy right now. We can spend some time with each other tonight, alright?†Niria promised.
The girl opened her mouth, as if to say something, but nothing came out. Niria smiled sadly and left the girl, standing alone at the bow.
A middle-aged man sat professionally at his desk, steadily writing on a thick peice of parchment. He did not even stop to look up from his work when a small, bony man entered his office. An intense silence came upon the room, so that the only sound was the continuous scraching of the pen. The intruder wringed his hands nervously as a bead of sweat ran down his nose and said “Umm…mmm…mmm Ahem sirâ€. His last words came out in a high pitched sqeak, making his addressor’s whiskers twitch, his only sign of acknowledgement.
Apparently, this acknowledgement was sufficient because the boney man continued. “C-c-c-captain, I…… I ……..I .. I ……I ..I ..I …….I ……….â€
The man lasped into a brief silence when the Captain raised his hand for quiet.
“You wish to know the whereabouts of a certain prisoner of war.†the Captain said expectantly.
“Y-y-yes sir!†the bony man replied.
“We found difficulties during questioning and he has been dealt with accordingly.†the Captain explained.
The intruders pale face turned slighty pink. “But…but….that….that’s not…… he was my………â€
The Captain raised his head abruptly and examined the man with a slow, confident smile. “Are you questioning my authority Jeremier?â€
Jeremier became flustered.â€I….I was only suggesing sir th..th..that any influencial information extracted would…. would be most helpful to…..to my……re..repu..pu..tation.â€
The Captain’s eyes glittered maliciously. “Any information that was found is in good hands, mine.â€
Any other move of protest escaped the Jeremeir’s mind as the Captain stood up.
“I would appreciate it if you would show yourself out of my office, Jeremeir. Good day to you.â€
With a pitiful whimper, Jeremeir hurried out of the Captain’s presence, closing the door carefully behind him.
The prisoner leaned back against the chilly wall of the cell. He flicked what may have been a dead rodent away from him, and sighed. Three days since the last glimpse of light in this cell. Oh, he hated this.
Even as he thought that, a door burst open somewhere above him, letting a glimmer of light through a chink in the stone. The prisoner basked in the pathetic ray, and hope flooded through his bones.
But the light was not all that penetrated the cell’s wall. There was also a sound, a voice protesting. “Let go of me! I am –â€
“You can shut yer mouth, whoever you are.â€
The prisoner crept closer to the chink and put his eye to it. But the sudden light blinded him and he pulled back, unable to see.
After several excruciating minutes, the prisoner’s eyes adjusted again to the blackness that had returned over the cell once more. He leaned forward and listened to the silence coming from the opposite cell. Slowly, yet surely, a pitiful moan could be heard coming from the newcomer. It was a sound that came only at a time of deepest despair, a time when one’s vision was clouded with misery and the mind gave way to dark wanderings. It was a sound that had reached the prisoner’s ears all too often.
Once the silence had returned, the prisoner put his mouth up to the hole in the wall.
“Hey, stranger!†he said “Have you got anything on ya?â€
A muffled gasp came from the other side of the wall and then a raspy voice answered him. “I was searched after I was captured.â€
Swearing, the prisoner pounded his fists against the wall in frustration. He turned desperately toward the hole in the wall again and pleaded, “Come on, have a heart! Could ya by any chance have some tobaccy up ya sleeve that them theiven dogs didn’t sniff out?â€
The prisoner’s plea was only answered with a tired laugh, a sound rarely heard in the dungeons. It lifted the prisoner’s head and brought a smile to his lips.
“Friend,†he said truthfully, “laughter in this place is more priceless then all the gold of the world.â€
He reached his hand through the hole. Another hand, one that had seen many days and had known a great deal of hard labor, met his own and they shook heartily.
“Ma name’s Jack Swinely.â€the prisoner introduced.
“Well met.†the newcomer acknowledged. “I am known as Pye, Octavio Pye.â€
“Nice to meet ya,†said Swinely, “though there could be nicer places ta meet.â€
Octavio Pye sighed. “I quite agree.â€
“So,†said Swinely, making conversation, “how did ya come ta be here?â€
“I don’t rightly know,†said Pye. “I wasn’t conscious when it happened.†He sounded sad. “And you?â€
“Eh,†grunted Swinely. “Ya don’t wanna know.â€
“Are you sure about that?†Octavio moved a little closer to the wall to counter Swinely’s quiet voice. “I’ve had my share of unlawful deeds, you know.â€
“Ah don’t wanna think about it, then. Ah never should’ve gone to the city. Too close ta the blasted ocean. Ah should’ve known.â€
“Know what?â€
“The Emperor was stronger than I though he would be,†he said, staring at the ceiling. “Ah lost everythin’.â€
“Ah,†Octavio said, nodding. “It appears to be the same for everyone. It’s a pity that those in the city can’t see all of us prisoners and hear our stories, or we’d be able to get a rebellion against the Empire faster than the swish of a sword.â€
“That’s what we’d all like ta think, isn’t it?â€
“Don’t you think so?â€
“I dunno what I think. Sometimes I think I might get out of here before I die, and sometimes I think there’s no chance.â€
“Oh, you might very well get out before you die.†This was said so sarcastically that Jack couldn’t help but feel that Mr. Pye wasn’t being nearly as optimistic as the words implied.
“And?†Jack said, wondering if there was more behind the words.
“Look, how long have you been in here for?†Octavio said, chuckling grimly.
“A while…†he said suspiciously.
“That explains it, don’t it?†Octavio said, nodding. “The world’s changed a lot for the worse in the past decade. The Empire is stronger than ever, and eerily enough, more people trust the Emperor as well. Sometimes I wonder if life might be better off if I just gave in.â€
“If you gave in, the only thing that would change is whether or not ya kept on planning an escape. When ya get to this point, there’s no difference between resisting and giving in, but ya sleep better if ya pick the latter.â€
“Oh, but I can’t give in. There are too many people I need to see fulfill their destinies. I’ve got to get OUT!â€
“We’ve all got to get out, Mr. Pye, and yelling about it ain’t gonna make a difference. If ya yell the guards come, and we don’t want that.â€
Octavio sank back, muttering. “If I hadn’t tried the Bonding, none of this would have happened. I should have listened to Niria.â€
Jack heard this, but he did not ask questions. All prisoners had their secrets, and from the despair he could hear in the other man’s voice, he could tell he had no right to intrude on this one.
There was a long pause, and then finally Octavio spoke again.
“So,†he said, his voice heavy with weary. “What do we do now?â€
The avid conversation abruptly ended. Jack thought about Octavio’s question with a furrowed brow. What would they do? What had he been doing for the past years? He had been sitting in this same room, brooding in the dark. He could not count how many times he had thought of escape, but those thoughts had simply been dreams, false hopes to make up for his inactivity. Now that this new stranger had put this question to him, he couldn’t think what to say. Maybe, just maybe . . .
“I think that we can do it.†Jack said with baited breath.
“Do what?†asked Octavio.
“Escape.†Jack’s voice was full of excitement.
“But how? Do you have a plan?â€
“Not as such,†admitted Jack. “But if we put our heads together, we could probably think of somethin’. Are you an alchemist?â€
“No,†said Octavio. “No. Why?â€
“I am,†said Jack, as though he were a child with a secret.
“Really?†Captain Pye had encountered hundreds, if not thousands, of alchemists. He had learned that everyone had some alchemical power, if not a lot. He was not impressed, but he saw no harm in listening to his fellow prisoner.
“Yep. That’s why I’m here, in fact.â€
“Really?†Now he was slightly intrigued. The Emperor didn’t usually put people in prison simply for having alchemical power. Old Sanguinus IV, in fact, had been a notoriously powerful alchemist.
“Yep. I was . . . well, let’s say I wasn’t the most law-abidin’ of citizens. I worked for a man, an’ he wasn’t too law-abidin’ either. Now I had no idea I was an alchemist up until one day when I accidentally turned some little trinket into pure gold. This was a mighty shock to me, and I never woulda told anyone, but this man I was working for, he saw. He told me to do it again, and when I couldn’t, he got pretty mad. An’ I thought it was over, and I’d best get outa his sight, so I boarded the nearest ship and left the city. And then a few days later, this nasty big boat came and they talked to the captain and said I was wanted for smugglin’, and the captain he turned me over – Lord knows what they payed him for it – and here I am, and I’ve been here for goodness knows how long. And there ya have it.â€
“I see.†Captain Pye frowned in concentration. A plan was beginning to hatch at the back of his mind.
“What’r you thinkin’ of?†Jack said suddenly, looking suspicious.
“Out of curiosity,†Captain Pye said, ignoring the question. “Do the guards know what each man was put in jail for?â€
“Of course,†Jack said solemnly. “That way dey know how well ter guard us.â€
“Perfect,†Captain Pye said, rubbing his chin. “What if you were to tell that guard right there that if he let us out you would turn the bars of this cell into gold for him? Do you think he’d believe you?â€
“Maybe,†said Jack doubtfully. “But he’s probably trained to look out for stuff like that.â€
“But it can’t hurt to try,†said Octavio.
“All right,†Jack said slowly as though agreeing to a death sentence. “But you have to do all the talking.â€
“Hey, guard!†Pye said, motioning with one chained arm. “C’mere.â€
The guard warily took a few steps towards them, and then a few more when Pye continued to beckon furiously.
“What?†he said roughly. “Did someone die?â€
Pye smiled. “No, no. But we have a proposal to make.â€
Ren woke from another of Tam’s nightmares. He lay with his eyes closed, feeling the fear drop away to be replaced with anger. Always anger. Why couldn’t Tam’s dreams stay in Tam’s head? Why couldn’t he just help the Unknowables like they wanted? It wasn’t fair.
He sat up and swung his feet out of the hammock, sticking them into his worn sandals. The forecastle was stuffy and filled with the snoring of the crew. Maybe he would go talk to the watchman.
The air on deck was comfortably warm, and the moon and stars were obscured by the heavy, humid clouds. Ren started towards the watchman, but then changed his mind and headed in the other direction instead. He wasn’t in the mood for conversation.
He leaned on the railing and stared out into the blackness. He whispered a word and small flame sprang up in hand. This was a trick he had mastered over the past week, and he felt slightly guilty whenever he tried it. He could just imagine Captain Pye’s disapproval, telling him of the wounds the fire could inflict, or Niria’s cold glare at the boy whose uncanny powers had nearly killed her captain and who had driven her friend to insanity.
He sighed miserably and extinguished the flame, but then it flickered back to life, and he found himself staring into the eyes of a large black-and-white bird. A stormy petrel.
He jerked back, and suddenly the railing was aflame. He realized what he had done and the fire went out. He prayed to the Unknowables that the watchman had not seen the light.
And the bird was no longer a bird, now it was a tall figure clad in dark blue and smelling of seawater.
The figure moved in front of Ren, blocking the rest of the ship from Ren’s sight. The cloak swirled across the deck, reminding Ren of wisps of smoke. The visitor leaned in and let out a gurgling whisper. “Greetings fire bringer.†it said. “I have brought hope to your totally hopeless existence.â€
Ren’s eyebrows raised and he crossed his arms. “Somehow, I seriously doubt it.†he said.
The figure ignored this comment and continued. “The great Mordran has a proposition for you. All charges, including any on your family or any other close relation, will be lifted from your name if you agree to all terms laid down by the empire’s most trusted official, the great Mordran.â€
Ren’s eyes grew wide with astonishment. They were certainly offering a lot! All he would have to do was agree, and afterward, he and all of his friends and family could have a relatively normal life. But at what cost?
Ren’s thoughts were interrupted by a shout from the opposite side of the ship. The guard must have seen his fire after all!
The cloaked figure turned toward Ren once more. “I will be waiting.†it hissed, and turned once more into a raven. It disappeared just as the watchman arrived. The man ran up to Ren, panting. “I, I saw fire on the deck!†he gasped. “What, what happened?â€
Ren smiled reasurringly. “It’s OK sir. I have it under control.â€
The guard stared at Ren curiously. “Well, †he relented, “if you’re sure…..â€
Ren nodded enthusiastically and the man shrugged. “OK then. I’ll guess I’ll get back to my post.†With that, the guard left the area.
Ren let out a sigh of releif and turned back toward the ocean. He craned his neck but could see no sign of his visiter. Ren shook his head. He could not possibly agree to Mordran’s wishes. If he did, the consequences would haunt him for the rest of his life.
Ren paced along the deck, his eyes closed, trying to block out the signs that another of Tam’s nightmares would soon be sent his way.
As Ren tried to avoid the darkening presence in his mind that was Tam and Tam’s nightmares, nobody else was having a good time either. On the deck of a dark ship, two gleaming eyes broke the darkness. Suddenly something broke the silence – well, not really. The sleek white figure burst into the moonlight, and looked at the stars. She knew something was about to happen.
After a moment or so, she was proved right. A thought tickled her mind, and she enveloped it, letting it in. “What is it?†she breathed with her mind. “Who is this?
“Alexis,†the voice said, with a hint of desperation. “Marmalade, we need to help Ren and Tam.â€
“Why?†Marmalade said, bowing her head slightly. “My master is Captain Pye. He needs help more than the human children.â€
“Marmalade, everyone knows that two Pukises are better than one,â€
“True, but what about your children?â€
There was a long pause, before Alexis continued, her voice cracked with sorrow.
“They’ve been taken,†she whispered. “By the Empire. I’ve got to find them too, but my gut tells me I will find them where I find Ren. Please help me, Marmalade.â€
Marmalade’s thin body slipped back into the many shadows on the deck. “I will think about it,†she said, her voice travelling over miles and miles to echo hollowy in Alexis’s head. “I will think.â€
Dark shadows lingered on the floor of the ship. No movement stirred the night; only the calm motion of the ocean waves could be heard in the stillness. Ren sat motionless, his eyes fixed on a distant point, his breathing slow and deliberate, the back of his neck coated with sweat.
A breeze brushed past the boy and the shadows flickered. Ren flinched uncomfortably and twitched his fingers one at a time, as if stretching out any stiff joints. Out of the shadows stepped a menacing figure, dressed in a flowing, black cloak.
“I see you have been waiting for me.†the figure hissed. “Have you made you decision?â€
Ren shifted in his seat, “I have made a descision, yes.â€
The cloaked figure moved forward eagerly. “I trust it is the correct one.†it gurgled.
Ren nodded slowly. “I believe it is.†he assured.
With a shout, the room was flooded with light. Crew members flooded into the room from all directions, surrounding the boy and the wavespirit.
“How dare you defy the might of the empire!†the wavespirit screeched. “You will pay dearly with your lives!â€
With a roar, the figure shriveled the disappeared through the floor.
A great cry arose among the men. “Search the ship!†a gruff voice yelled. “It can’t have gone far!â€
Darkness. Darkness. Can’t escape. Must escape!
Pleading voices echoed in Tam’s head. “Help us Tam!†“Set us free Tam!â€
“Nooooo!†Tam screamed. With a shriek, he fell. And fell. And……….
Tam awoke with a start in the darkened dungeon. He warily wiped the tears and sweat off his face. Yet another night with the same horrifying dream. Or, at least, he thought it had been a night. It was hard to tell anymore the difference between night and day in the darkness of the ship’s (hold?).
The shadows twisted in the room and Tam briefly saw movement in the corer of his eye. Before he could turn around, a hand grabbed him from behind.
“Tam,†a voice murmured behind him. “I found you just in time. The empire has come back for you. I’ll take you out of this situation in a minimum amount of time.â€
Tam stared curiously as the darkened figure hastily unbound him. This was all happening so fast! Tam weighed his options. He could stay with the ship and most likely sit in a dungeon until pirates killed him, or he could go back to the empire, where he might have a chance at escaping before anything too terrible occurred. The wavespirit stood up, headed toward the entrance, and impatiently waited for Tam.
†Now boy!†it ordered gruffly.
Tam hesitantly stood as well and joined the wavespirit. He would set his chances with the empire.
The wave spirit took Tam by the hand, as the boy began to hear voices and pounding footsteps above his head. “What’s happening?†he asked, sounding small and frightened even to himself. “How are we going to get off of here?â€
The wave spirit said something in a gurgly whisper, and Tam felt the clasps around his ankles melt away, and then he found there was light from a phlogiston lamp shining in his eyes, and he blinked once, twice. He was staring into someone’s familiar eyes. And it wasn’t someone he wanted to ever see again.
“Well,†said Tera. “Look who it is.â€
Alexis opened her blue eyelids one by one, and stretched out her long, furry body in common cat-like fashion. She looked around her place of rest – an island, far from any known human civilizations, that she had settled on to rest from her fruitless search for her young, and Ren as well.
Suddenly she heard a faint noise in her head. At first she stiffened, but then she relaxed as she recognized Marmalade.
“I have decided,†Marmalade said, her voice hard with resolve.
“What?†Alexis whispered, suddenly feeling faint with worry.
Marmalade paused for a long while, causing Alexis to bat at her tail to keep herself from jumping into the sea in anxious despair.
“I will help you.â€
“Really?†Alexis said, breathing a sigh of relief. “When? How?â€
“Meet me on Lithuslov in two days time. Even Pukis thought communications are no longer safe from the Empire. We must talk face to face.â€
“Two days? I am much further than two days journey from Lithuslov, even if I don’t stop to eat or rest at all.â€
“You’ll find a way, Alexis, or else Ren and your young will not be receiving assistance from me.â€
Alexis was quiet for a moment as she weighed the pros and cons.
“Marmalade,†she finally said. “We have not always been the best of friends, but I know noone else to turn to. I will come, and even if I am too late, I hope I will find someone who can help me. Thank you.â€
“It’s the least I can do.â€
The sun shone brightly, glittering on the brilliant blue sea. It was hard to believe that anything could be wrong on such a day. The sky overhead was cloudless, and a stiff breeze played buffeted the blue Pukis. Her wing were sore, her scales salty from the spray, but she was close to Lithuslov. Oh! So close! Although her two days had ended the night before, she flew on now simply because she must reach land.
And reach land she did, three hours later, and collapsed on the warm rocks and sand of a sheltered cove, too tired to shape-change, too tired to move, too tired to think. And she slept.
Her sleep was broken by a voice in her head, a clear one. It said, Wake up, Alexis.
Her eyes snapped open, she leaped up, bristling.
It was Marmalade. She sat on her haunches on a large rock, gold and cream fur illuminated by the red and glowing sunset.
“You’re still here.†Remembering what the other Pukis had said of Pukis communications being no longer private, Alexis did that one thing Pukises never did. She spoke aloud.
To any human, it would have been only a hissing and crackling mew, but to a Pukis, it was as distinct as a thought.
“What next?†she whispered, her voice unused to the action.
Marmalade snapped her head back from where she was grooming her paw and stared at Alexis. “You spoke?†she said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
“If it’s the only safe way to communicate, why not? This will keep humans who would harm us from finding out our plans.â€
“But Alexis,†Marmalade said, her voice thick with worry. “Humans aren’t the least of our problems. I am more worried about those other Pukis who would do thing to avoid being captured and made into a coat.â€
“Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.â€
Alexis peered nervously around the clearing. Things really had to be bad if Pukis were beginning to turn each other in to save their own skins, literally.
“So, what is our plan?†Alexis gurgled.
Marmalade jumped down from her perch and leaned close into Alexis, whispering…
“The fire conjurer and his friends are headed toward the empire ship called the Blood Storm, where the great orb is being held, on a pirate ship. The Blood Storm is the 200-gun flagship of the Sanguiz Empire. Because of the ship’s high security, it is the perfect place for the Orb or Centaur. I do not know what Ren and others plan to do with the Orb, but what I do know is that they have promised the pirates treasure and when those brutes find that there is none, there will be trouble.â€
Alexis stiffened. “What does Ren plan to do with the Orb?â€
Marmalade hesitated. †I don’t think he’s sure what to do himself. Either way, with each passing moment, he gets closer and closer to Mordran and deeper into trouble.â€
Alexis leaped up from her spot. “Ren’s plan can not fail! It’s importance is too great! Come, we must leave immediately!â€
Leave immediately? said an unfamiliar voice in the heads of Marmalade and Alexis. I think not.
They whirled around, fur bristling. A red-gold Pukis hovered above them, dragon-formed, his beautiful, delicate face inscrutable. We don’t have much of a choice, he said. The trade is growing. We betray our kin, or we die.
I would rather die! mind-shrieked Marmalade.
Would you?
Yes!
You are a pet, he said scornfully.
Marmalade leaped, switching forms mid-flight, beating her glittering wings angrily, golden claws extended. The red Pukis dodged.
Marmalade! called Alexis. Stop! Think it through! Ren!
Marmalade did not heed her. Alexis flew at her, knocking her out of the air as she lunged again at the stranger. Leave him be! the blue Pukis scolded. Then, to the male, Please, don’t betray us. We’ve got to go. We’ve got to.
Don’t we all! But we can’t, can we?
Please! No one has to know!
They would know. His eyes were no longer on Alexis or the simmering Marmalade beside her, but on someone behind them. The two Pukises turned as one, to see a grizzled man in a leather tunic tensed, net in hand, ready to seize them. Marmalade gave a furious hiss, and flew at his head, a miniature stream of flame directed at his helmeted scalp. A split second later, Alexis joined her. The red Pukis hovered, looking on as the two females attacked his master. The from nowhere, he joined them, diving at the man’s unprotected eyes.
The Pukis furrier was outnumbered. His helmet was growing uncomfortably warm, and no longer seemed as safe as it had been a moment ago. He fled into the woods, and Alexis coasted down onto a rock, followed by Marmalade and the red Pukis.
There are options, you see, she remarked to him, switching to cat-form and beginning to clean herself.
I suppose.
They said nothing for another hour or so, resting, washing. Marmalade caught a small rodent and roasted it, then gobbled it up in two bites. Alexis did the same. The red Pukis watched them.
We should go, said Alexis. I hope it is not already too late.
Too late for what?
We have a task.
A task.
Yes.
What does it entail?
If only we knew!
Well… A moment of hesitation. If ever you need me, send word.
Alexis cocked her head. It was possible to communicate over great distances, but it was an unreliable method of speaking, and rarely used. Who shall we send for?
It was a Pukis name, long and impossible for human letters and words to replicate. Alexis nodded. Marmalade stood and stretched.
Well? said the cream-colored Pukis. Shall we go?
They launched themselves into the air and began to fly.
“You can do that?†the guard asked.
“Of course I can.†Jack assured. “Damned power’s why I’m hear ain’t it?â€
The guard nodded slowly, his eyes gleaming with a hint of greed. He turned his back to Jack and scouted out the area. Yes, the timing could not have been more perfect. The guards shift was not scheduled to end for several more hours and no other guard was in the premises.
“It’s a deal if you can prove it.†the guard said. Without any hesitation, the man bent over and unlocked Jacks cell. As Jack scrambled out the door, the guard handed him his iron staff.
“Here.†the guard said. “Turn my staff to gold. If you can do it, then you’ve got yourself a deal.â€
“Sounds good to me.†Jack said. With an experienced twirl, Jack took the staff and clunked it onto the guards head. The man fell like a stone.
“That was easier then I thought it’d be.†Jack commented. He bent down and took the guards keys out of his pocket. With a flourish, he unlocked Octivio’s door.
“Hmmmmm.†Jack contemplated. “It seems a shame to keep everyone else cooped up.†A mischievous twinkle came into his eyes. He glanced at Octivio with a crooked grin. “What do you say? Jailbreak?â€
A few short minutes later, a little group gathered around Octavio and Jack. There were only about ten of them, as the Blood Storm tended to transfer its prisoners off to other ships promptly, for fear of just such an attack as this (â€It’d serve ‘em better to hire some smarter guards,†said Jack with a wink.), but there were enough.
“What’s the plan?†asked one, a bony fellow with a crooked nose.
“It’s very simple,†said Octavio. “We go out, and we fight our wy to the lifeboats. Chances are we won’t make it, but it’s better than sitting here in the dark.â€
“Yessir!†said a prisoner.
Octavio turned to Jack. “What do we have by way of weapons?â€
“This staff, his pistol, his knife, and his sword. That’s all.†It was a dismal display. Octavio wished he had his own pistol here, but of course he did not. “Four weapons among…†a swift count of heads “…eleven people. That won’t do.â€
“We could bash ‘em with the lantern,†suggested Jack.
“Five weapons. That leaves six without.†Octavio was beginning to doubt the soundness of his plan. Not that it had ever been very sound in the first place.
“Who needs weapons!†someone cried, and it was echoed among the newly freed prisoners.
“We’ll get ‘em off the soldiers!†said another.
Octavio hesitated. He hated to leave any army he was in charge of without proper weapons, but what choice did he have? “Here,†he said, handing out the staff, pistol, knife and sword and giving the lantern to Jack.
Jack smiled. “So. Shall we go?â€
“Why not?†The ascended the ladder one by one, first Jack, holding the lantern, then Octavio, then the stream of ex-prisoners, out into the light.
No one was nearby, and consequently they had a head start of a few few seconds. But they were unaccustomed to the light, and that head start was lost blinking in the sun. And then the crew of the Blood Storm descended upon them.
When that morning had dawned, red and fiery, there had still been no sign of Tam. And now, in the late afternoon, Ren lay asleep in his hammock, worn out from trying to make contact with the other boy. He didn’t know why he bothered. He should be glad that he no longer had to deal with Tam. But he no longer trusted the older boy. He was weak-minded and traitorous, afraid of both sides of this battle. Who knew what damage he would wreak? Ren closed his eyes. Never had he wanted the Sea Roc like this, with her steady, trustworthy captain, the cheerful and colorful alcooktor, and the sailors whose company he had grown to enjoy. To think, only a few months ago, he had lived a comfortable, safe life with his uncle. From there, he had been plunged into the strange world of pirates and disturbing powers, and as soon as he had begun to get used to that, everything had changed again. And again. And again. “Sphaere, what I wouldn’t give for a normal life again,†he groaned.
A shout from the deck. Ren leaped to his feet, and bolted out into the light. “What’s going on?†he asked Arn, as the latter headed toward where Niria and the Wavebreaker’s other stormmaster had gathered.
“They’ve sighted the Blood Storm!†said Arn.
In less than an hour, they were near enough to the Blood Storm that Ren could make out individual figures on the deck. He squinted. “They’re fighting,†he said.
“What?†Captain Sharpnose had come up behind him, carrying a telescope. Inwardly Ren cringed. He could never get used to the man, with his warlike appearance and smell of alchemical powder.
“There’s a fight, sir. On the deck.â€
“A fight?†Captain Sharpnose said, drawing in a quick breath. “Who?â€
“I dunno, why don’t you look yourself?†Ren said sharply. “You’re the one with the telescope.â€
With a grunt of surprise, Sharpnose drew out his telescope and peered over at the Bloodstorm. “Indeed.†he said slowly. He leaned over the deck rail intently, as if he were surveying the scene. With a sharp intake of breathe, Sharpnose suddenly stood back and roared the most blood-curdling battle cry Ren had ever heard in his life. Ren fell back, startled, as the deck immediately filled up with a mixed array of pirate crew members, all armed to the teeth.
“Broadside her mates!†Sharpnose declared.
The crew cheered and scrambled about the ship in a furious swarm. Sharpnose turned and helped Ren back to his feet. Chuckling, he said,â€Yah’d best get yer sea legs lad. Today we’ll be receivin gold and glory! Gold and glory lad!†still chuckling, the pirate captain lumbered away.
Ren chewed his lip nervously and looked over at the Bloodstorm, which was coming closer and closer every minute. Was it really going to be this easy? Wasn’t this supposed to the greatest battle ship ever since………..
*BOOM* The foundations of the deck under Ren’s feet shuddered, forcing Ren to his knees. Of course, nothing was ever easy.
Roars throughout the ship were evidense enough that the empire’s cannons had done their job. Responding shots resounded from the interior of the Wavebreaker.
“Ren!†came a cry from behind him. “What’s happening?!†Niria ran toward him and ducked down beside him.
“I’m not exactly sure.†Ren replied. “All I know is that we’re going to board he Bloodstorm but someone’s already on the deck, fighting.â€
Niria nodded, understandingly as Arn joined them. “So, are we going to destroy the Orb?†Arn asked. “That’s the plan, right?â€
Ren hesitated for a moment. “I’m not sure about that.†Ren said. “I think we need to use it; we need to release the Unknowables.â€
Arn raised is eyebrows. “Is this about Tam’s dream again? You can’t be serious! How could we possibly beleive anything from that traitor?!â€
Ren opened his mouth too protest but was shocked into silence when Niria said, “Ren’s right. Captain Pye thought the Orb was important enough to get a valuable copy of it at his own risk. There must have been something he wanted us to do with it.â€
Niria turned forcefully toward Ren. “Ren, †she said. “I know I haven’t always agreed with you on everything you’ve done, but I’m with you on this. To the very end.â€
Ren smiled gratefully at her and glanced at Arn, who was nodding uncertainly. “OK.†Arn said. “I’ll stick with you guys.â€
Another attack rocked the ship, sending waves onto the deck.
Arn leaped to his feet, “but we’re not going to get anywhere unless we reach the Bloodstorm!â€
Another cannon, this time closer, shook the Wavebreaker with tremendous force. Ren, Niria, and Arn leaped up to see the Bloodstorm dangerously close. A battle was certainly waging on the deck, if not a strange one. A small group of thin, desperate men were fighting against a whole army of empirial soldiers with an odd assortment of swords, muskets, and …….. was that a lanturn?
The 3 jumped back, startled, as several pirates ran up to the deck rail, screaming manically. Without any hesitation, the men started to board the Bloodstorm.
“Come on!†Arn yelled. “This is our chance!â€
Ren began to follow but was stopped by Niria. “Ren.†she said forcefully. “You must promise me. We will return for the bartender’s daughter when this is over.â€
Ren hesitated.
“Promise me!†Niria screeched, digging her nails into Ren’s arm.
“We will return, Niria.†Ren agreed reluctantly. “I promise.â€
Niria nodded. “Good. I’ll hold you to it.†With that, she followed Arn across the water to the deck of the Bloodstorm.
With a deep breathe, Ren followed suit.
The deck of the Blood Storm was chaotic even before a horde of well-armed pirates had swarmed over the side, and Ren found that he was losing his sense of direction. Niria stayed with him only long enough to wish him luck – rather loudly over the fray – and then she was gone, long hair flying, and Ren thought he heard her shout something that sounded like, “That’s for murdering the Captain!â€. Arn gave him a nod, a grin, and a wink, and then with a whoop, he plunged into the melèe.
Ren wanted to get out of this mess – and quick, before someone stabbed him. Gripping his knife, he stumbled towards the stern of the ship. The Blood Storm’s name was very fitting, he reflected, and then a sharp piece of metal snapped by his face. He felt blood trickle onto his cheek, but there was no pain. Yet. He ran.
And then he was through a door and the noise of the battle dimmed slightly. In front of him was a narrow, short corridor, ending in a door. On either side of the corridor was another door. He opened the one on his left, trying to think where the Orb would be kept. It revealed a spacious room with a four-poster bed and a definite feminine touch. He wrinkled his nose. What was this, the Captain’s wife’s room? He closed the door again and tried the one on his left. This looked more promising. He stepped forward into the Captain’s room.
Ren gasped in horror at the scene that greeted him.
Tam was kneeling on the floor, head bowed over a glowing sphere. His hands hovered a mere centimeter over the surface, and he was moaning slightly. Rake Vashkar stood over him, a long knife poised. A girl whom Ren had never seen stood by, hands folded, face impassive.
“Please,†whispered Tam, his voice hoarse. “Please, stop. I don’t know how it works.â€
“Kill them!†hissed Vashkar. “Kill the pirates.â€
“I don’t know how!†cried Tam.
“You will not remove your hands from the Orb until every last pirate has died,†said Vashkar coldly.
Tam whimpered. His hands shook. Ren could see the life ebbing from him. He stood there, just inside the door, silent, unnoticed, unsure. He felt half-inclined to leave Tam there, but other feelings got in the way. So many people had died because of him already…Tam need not join their number. And what if he succeeded in killing the pirates? That did it.
“Stop it,†he said loudly.
Vashkar turned. “Why look who it is! The other one! How perfect. Now when this one dies -†he prodded Tam with his toe “- you can replace him.â€
“No way,†said Ren, wishing desperately that he had any weapon but the tiny knife.
“I think you’ll find you’ll change your mind.â€
Ren’s mind whirled. He had to buy time. There was an alchemical pistol on the Captain’s desk, but how did he get there? “When we both die, there won’t be anyone left,†he said, beginning to edge towards the desk.
“One of you will succeed.†Vashkar lunged for the pistol himself. Ren jumped back as the room filled with the acrid scent of alchemical powder. The shot had hit the floor where Ren’s foot had been only a moment before. Of course. Vashkar wouldn’t kill him. Not this way.
If anything, that scared him more.
He looked across the room. The girl was pulling Tam away from the Orb. “Keep going,†she mouthed silently. “Distract him.â€
Run! Run! They were around him! All around him! They reached for him, howled in his ears, lashed out at him.
“He’s here!â€
“He’s come!â€
“Free us!â€
“Free us!â€
The cries, persistent, screeched relentlessly in Tam’s ears. He had to escape! He had to run!
But wait…….his eyes clouded over and he saw a blade dangerously close to his neck. “Please, I…..†Tam protested, his vision blurred again and………
“Free us boy!â€
“Free us!â€
Sweat rolled off Tam’s cheeks as he screamed in anguish. At least, he thought he had screamed. It sounded different here, almost as if the air was made of a thicker substance and would not allow sound waves to travel correctly.
Suddenly, a new voice penetrated the terror. “You fools!†it said. “The boy is missing key. He can do nothing. Nothing!â€
A roar of anguish defined is ears and Tam collapsed, rolling into a pathetic heap.
“Why is he here?!†the voices bellowed. “Who has sent him?! Surely not…….â€
“No.â€screeched one. “There is no other presense with him.†Tam shuddered. He felt strange. Unattached to anything he had ever known. He raised his head weakly and a whimper escaped his lips. Strange. The world seemed quiet now. He strained his ears and heard hushed tones in the distance.
“He’s almost gone.†“Why is he here?†“Perhaps he displeased the master?†“No, the master could not finalize his plan without this boy, though he may be a fool.†“We will never be free without him either.†“What can we do?†“Nothing.â€
A growl interrupted the speech. “I have always known. I have felt it, though faint. There is another……â€
Tam shuddered. The voices were gone. What……..
He felt hands grabbing him forcefully and had a sensation of being dragged across the floor.He opened his eyes and saw an intense pair of brown eyes glaring down at him. With a moan, Tam blacked out.
Niria caught sight a familiar figure through the battle, and her eyes misted up, as she remembered her Captain. She yelled something at the soldier she was battling, although she didn’t know what it was. And then that familiar figure was by her side. “Niria!†he said. “What on earth are you doing here?â€
Niria’s sword almost fell from her grasp. “Captain?†she asked faintly.
“The very same. Tell me, how is Ren?â€
“I don’t know, sir. He’s getting the Orb now. I can only hope…â€
The Captain nodded.
“What are you doing here, sir? We thought you had died.â€
“I might have, if it hadn’t been for the exceptionally good people I found in my prison. I wonder how they are now.â€
More and more people fell. Arn appeared, speckled in blood but seemingly intact. He did not appear to notice Niria or Octavio.
“So…†said Pye. “How many survived?â€
“I don’t know, sir. The ship was gone when we returned to the harbor.â€
“The ship! The Sea Roc!â€
“She is gone, sir.â€
Captain Pye’s face twisted into an undefinable expression. “Only to be expected,†he muttered.
“I’m sorry,†said Niria. The battle raged about them, but very few noticed the two standing there. “Too much has been lost for those boys.â€
“The boys are not the root of it,†said Captain Pye, and then he disappeared into the fray.
Ren barely had time to react before Vashkar was on him. The huge man landed like a boulder on Ren’s side. Ren only had a split second to roll out of the way, lest he was crushed by the huge man’s body. Without missing a beat, Vashkar leaped back up to his feet. Ren had hardly gotten back on his feet when Vashkar was onto him again. The man was relentless!
Ren had to think fast! Quickly, Ren screamed the first words that came into his head. “Flamula Infenso Pilus!â€
The words had an instant effect. Vashkar reared back, screaming, his purple haiir ablaze. Ren took this opportunity to glance around. Good, Tam and the girl were gone. Ren turned back to Vashkar and forcefully rammed his body into Vashkar’s flaming figure, forcing the man to the ground.
“That’s for Captain Pye!†Ren screamed.
Ren turned away from Vashkar, who was sprawled, helpless, upon the ground. Suddenly, Ren let out a yell. The Orb! Where was it?! That girl must have taken it!
Ren turned to run out after her when he landed face to face with Vashkar.
“Going somewhere?†the man asked with an evil grin and held up the alchemical pistal. Ren barely had any time to react before he hit with the greatest force he had ever known. Vashkar laughed manically as Ren fell to the ground.
“I don’t care how useful you are. No one messes with my hair.†he chuckled.
Out of the corner of his fading vision, Ren was calmed by the appearance of a tiny pair of familiar, fluttering wings.
Just before he went black, Ren heard a tiny voice in his head.
I’m here, Ren, it said. Don’t worry. I’m here.
When the battle was over, Niria began to worry about Ren. “Arn,†she asked, “have you seen Ren?†The boy was tying a long gash on his leg with a strip of his shirt. He shook his head.
Niria bit her lip and wandered off. Where was he? She turned in slow, worried circles among the havoc. And then something caught her eye. A gold-and-cream-colored Pukis, flying sedately over the chaotic deck.
“Marmalade!†she gasped.
Marmalade, satisfied in having caught the young woman’s attentions, turned and flew in the direction of the quarterdeck. Niria followed hastily. “Where did you come from?†she asked the Pukis, but of course got no reply.
She was led into a fine room, ostentatiously decorated , but a terrible mess. There was blood on the rug, the curtains were askew… No-doubt-highly-important papers from the captain’s desk lay scattered on the floor, and more than one item or piece of decoration was severely singed or smoldering. The whole room smelled of alchemical powder and burnt hair. But that was not the worst.
On the floor lay two unconscious figures: Rake Vashkar, covered in burns and scratch marks, his violet hair in disarray, and Ren, still and bloody.
“Ren!†gasped Niria. “Sphaere, no! REN!â€
Ren struggled in his sleep. He knew that he needed to wake up, There was something he needed to do. Something important. But, somehow, he couldn’t seem to open his eyes; he couldn’t seem to lift his head out of the fog. Slowly, yet surely, he felt himself being lifted up, and up, and up out of his slumber. In the distance, a whisper echoed in his head. “He’s here. I’ve found him.â€
Ren began to stir restlessly, his hands brushing against his numerous bandages. Beside him, Alexis let out a purr of contentment. About time. Wake up sleepy head, she coaxed.
With a slight groan, Ren opened his eyes and sat up slightly. Immediately, his eyes filled with a mixture of shock and joy and he gasped. Before him, sat a much weathered, yet familiar face with a hat perched upon his crown.
“Captain Pye!†Ren exclaimed joyously.
“The very same,†said Pye.
“But I thought you were dead!â€
“Not quite, although I would have been had Sharpnose and the Wavebreaker not come along in when they did.â€
“I lost the Orb, sir. Tam was there, and Vashkar was trying to make him use it, and there was a girl… And I distracted Vashkar, and the girl ran off with the Orb. And Tam.â€
Octavio sighed heavily and put his head in his hands. “Princess Tera,†he said.
“Isn’t that the Emperor’s daughter? One of ‘em, I mean. The fifth one?â€
“Fourth. But yes. And now she has the Orb. And Tam to work it.â€
Ren gasped and tried to sit up. “Ow!â€
“You were shot, remember. It’s your luck you have no alchemical power, or you’d be dead. Those pistols are quite flawed. They really weren’t figuring in stormmasters at all.â€
“Who won the battle?â€
“Us. The Blood Storm’s ours now.â€
“But not the Orb.â€
“No, not the Orb.â€
“How long was I knocked out?â€
“About four hours after we found you. Goodness knows how long you’d been unconscious before then.â€
“Alexis and Marmalade – how are they?â€
“They’re fine. Not getting along terribly well, but that’s only to be expected. They never have. They nearly did Rake Vashkar in. Unfortunately he’s a stormmaster so they couldn’t finish the job.â€
Niria appeared again, looking distraught. “She’s not anywhere!†she cried. “I’ve looked and looked – she might have fallen overboard – or been killed in battle – or Sphaere knows what else! I promised I’d keep her safe!â€
“Who?†asked Ren.
“The bartender’s daughter, the little girl – she’s GONE!â€
Tera sat in the bows of the lifeboat, holding a cloth-wrapped object tightly to her chest. Next to her sat Tam, coatless and shivering, head bowed over his knees. His hand throbbed painfully, matching his headache. He looked away from the imperious girl and her burden with a shudder, out at the tossing waves, at the tired sailors who pulled almost desperately at the oars.
“Where are we going?†he asked hoarsely. His throat stung, but there was no clear water to soothe it.
“Hermetopolis,†said Tera shortly. “To my father. Where else?â€
“Why?†Tam said.
“Because I said so,†Tera said, turning to him, but her heart didn’t seem quite in it. “Because I, the Fourth Daughter of the Emperor, said so. So there.â€
Tam looked away from her, but Tera got a slight glimpse of his eyes, dark with pain, and worry. Vashkar had taken not only Tam’s strength, and nearly his life, but much of his fighting spirit as well.
She sighed, and lifted the heavy oars, not designed for someone her size, out of the water, dipping them back in with barely a sound. The waves crashed in perfect time; the beat of the ocean. One, two. One, two. One, two.
The waves made steady rhythm, one that always stayed the same, or at least changed so slightly that you could barely notice it at all. But now, like a hurricane stirring from the warm waters of the west, the pattern of the waves were changing in big ways. And at the center it were Tam, the injured boy who sat in her lifeboat, giving up, and Ren, the boy who Tera had hardly seen but for a glimpse or two when he helped her and Tam escape.
“To Hermetopolis we go,†Tera repeated under her breath, just a bit louder than a puff of wind. “The seas are changing, and who knows what will happen next? One thing’s for sure, though. I plan to be right in the thick of it.â€
This story really is appallingly bad, you know.
Thanks for posting. I’ll be hanging around on this thread until school starts.
I suppose I’ll start editing from the beginning again, in order to change Tam’s character and fix the nautical stuff.
Sometimes I think it would be easier to just rewrite.
Important points:
1. Ren’s father has disappeared. Should we do something with this, or just say that both his parents died? Of some sort of fever, maybe?
The Inner Sea had formed hundreds of years before, when the lowland flats in the center of Sphaere had been deluged constantly as the Age of Ice ended and the great glaciers melted. Now, the only land surface of Sphaere is the mountains around its shores.
The Sanguiz Empire soon took advantage of the confusion caused by the Deluge to expand its territory from the handful of states it once commanded. As our story opens, all of Sphaere is under its iron grip.
That is, almost all.
Hardy bands of seafarers, disgusted with the decadence and corruption that infects Sphaere, have taken to the Inner Sea and the scattering of lawless isles in its center. They raid the prosperous, Empire-sanctioned merchant ships that cross the Sea and bamboozle the incompetent navy.
One ship in particular is notable among these: The Sea Roc.
Ren Splayr dashed down the narrow alley, the loose soles of his sandals flapping on its damp bricks. The whistles of the soldiers weren’t far behind. Ren hoped he could get to the seafront before they caught him and he went the same way as his uncle. Perlan Ethor, Ren’s only remaining family, had taken him in when his mother died and his father disappeared. Now Perlan was gone too, shot by the captain of the guard for writing an article about corruption in the Sanguiz Empire. Funny how a few strokes of ink in the Hermetopolis Gazette could translate into a puff of alchemical smoke, a flying musket ball, and death. Ren was wanted too, simply for knowing Perlan and “possible aiding and abetting propaganda against our glorious Emperor Sanguinus IX.”
Ren’s only hope was to stow away aboard a merchant ship bound for the opposite side of Sphaere, all the way across the Inner Sea.
“Where are you running to, boy?” said a gruff voice, and Ren skidded to a stop a few inches away from a man. Probably a sailor of high rank, to judge from his clothes. Maybe even a captain. He wore a very large and slightly ridiculous three-cornered hat. In spite of his present state, Ren wanted to laugh, but there was no time. He dodged the man, and sped off down the alley again.
Octavio Pye watched the boy go. Limber, agile, small for his age of maybe fourteen… he would make a good powder monkey. Why was he in such a hurry?
A bunch of officious-looking people in the uniforms of Imperial soldiers rushed down the alley after the boy. Octavio was experienced at looking as though he had no idea what was going on. The guards didn’t question him.
So the boy is in trouble with the Sanguiz Empire, Octavio mused. I don’t think he will refuse a job aboard the Sea Roc.
He turned and took one of the many shortcuts he knew to the harbor.
Ren ran on, his heart pounding in his chest, his breath coming ragged. He reached the harbor, and looked wildly from side to side for a place to hide. The soldiers were gaining, and there was nowhere to go.
Nowhere except the stinking black water of the harbor.
One of the soldiers, a lean, athletic one, pulled ahead, raising his musket to his shoulder. Ren leaped into the sea, hearing the bullet whiz over his head.
With a loud sploosh, the water closed over him, dark and slimy and foul-tasting. He fought to get to the surface, flailing wildly. When he reached it, though, he almost wished he hadn’t. Three soldiers were pointing guns at him, and looked like they intended to use them.
Before he could dive again, there were three loud cracks, and Ren cringed, expecting to feel the bullets smashing into his chest. But he didn’t. He looked up to see the soldiers clutching their injured hands, their unfired muskets on the ground beside them.
What happened? wondered Ren, almost forgetting to tread water. The soldiers were pushed out of the way as a large, dark-skinned man in a greasy apron pulled him out of the water with a grip as strong as a lion’s. “Come on! We must hurry! These soldiers will recover and call for reinforcements very soon.” Ren was pulled along in the quay in a daze, hoping that wherever he was going, it was somewhere safe.
The alchemist stopped in front of a small three-masted ship moored at an out-of-the-way corner of the dock.
“Vushtek!” came a cry from on board. “You found him!”
“Yes, and I’m being pursued. Let me up, quick!”
A head poked over the rail. It was the man from the alley. “If they catch up to you, they’ll be sorry they messed with the crew of Octavio Pye. Tzil? Niria? I need a wind.”
Ren dimly noticed a man in blue and white clothing raising a hand, and a strong breeze blowing across the waterfront. A weatherweaver, he thought, but he wasn’t surprised. His head was reeling from hearing the name of Octavio Pye. Octavio Pye! The dreaded Captain Krakeneater of the pirate ship the Sea Roc!
There was a ladder built into the side of the ship, and a dazed Ren was passed up this and onto the deck. The alchemist–-Vushtek–-scrambled up behind him.
Octavio Pye cast only a glance over Ren, but the look in his eyes as he did so, was, if not quite sympathetic, not unkind either. “Arn!†he called, and a burly young man about Ren’s age looked up from his task.
“Yes, sir?â€
“This is a new powder monkey. Show him to his quarters, and explain his duties.â€
“Aye aye, Captain.†Arn gave Ren a friendly nod. “Follow me,†he said.
By this time Ren had regained his wits, and followed Arn through a hatch and down a ladder.
“Quarters are pretty cramped,†said Arn. “You’ll get a hammock, but not much room to sling it in. I guess you’re pretty small, though, which is good for a powder monkey. On the Navy ships they use children as young as seven, but we don’t do that. Anyway, during a battle, you’ll run and fetch the powder, and then run and fetch some more powder, and then do it over again, till you’re told to stop. Any other time, just do what you’re told. Don’t touch a line unless you know what it does, and even then don’t touch it until you’re told to. We eat at noon, which is just about–â€
He paused for a moment, and Ren heard a bell high above on deck. “Now†said Arn, grinning. “Follow me.â€
They collected their food and sat down at a rough wooden table. Two boys were already sitting there, one, a small dark-haired child who could not have been over eleven, if that, and the other a tall, fair-haired youth with a distant, preoccupied expression.
“This is Sev–†Arn indicated the younger boy “–and this is Tam. Sev, Tam, this is the new powder monkey. What’s your name?â€
“Ren.â€
Sev looked up at Ren and grinned. “Nice to meet you, Ren†he said.
“Likewise,†replied Ren politely.
Tam gave Ren a nod, but said nothing. Arn, apparently sensible of the awkward silence that ensued, began to talk again. “Sev’s a powder monkey too. Me and Tam used to be, but we’re big enough to be more useful elsewhere, now, so we’re just regular sailors now.â€
“Are Sev and I the only powder monkeys, then?†asked Ren.
“Well, yes,†said Arn. “It’s hard to get people small and fast enough on a pirate ship. Mothers don’t send their kids off to sea if they can help it, and we don’t press people. Not like the Navy.â€
Ren dropped his fork. “What do you call me, then? I certainly didn’t join of my own accord! I have my own home, you know! My own life! You expect me to just drop that and join a group of murdering, thieving–â€
“Funny,†Arn interrupted.†I thought you were on the run from the Empire.â€
All thought of argument drained out of Ren and he felt the weight of his situation crashing down on him. Arn was right. Ren couldn’t return to his previous life. The death of his uncle had changed everything. He had no other place to go.
“Don’t worry,†Arn said. “You’ll get used to it. We all did. It’s not a bad life.â€
Tam made a sound of disbelief. Arn bristled.
“All right then, Tam Eizid, if it’s such a bad life, why don’t you just go to the Captain and tell him you’ve changed your mind, eh? I remember when you came along, and you didn’t object to joining the crew then. ‘I’ll do anything, anything, just don’t kill me, please sir!’†he mocked.
Tam’s eyes flashed fire. The lantern hanging from a beam above the table seemed to flare brighter.
“Have you met Marmalade yet, Ren?†asked Sev, desperately trying to change the subject. “Arn, has he met Marmalade yet?â€
“No,†said Ren. “Who’s Marmalade?â€
“She’s the Captain’s Pukis,†Sev said.
Ren’s eyes widened. “A Pukis? Really?†Pukises were shapeshifting dragon-cats from the Free Isle of Lithuslov. Their fur was of an unparalleled beauty, rare and valuable, and though Ren had never seen one, it was rumored that the emperor had a score of them in golden cages.
“Really,†said Arn, recovering his good temper.
“She sinks ships,†added Sev. “Very useful in battle, you know.â€
Battle. Ren felt his heart sink still further. His uncle was dead, he could never return to Hermetopolis, and he was likely to die anyway, in battle, on a strange ship with quarrelling shipmates. He fought back tears, all the harder when he noticed that Tam was staring at him. He looked away, and Tam shook his head slightly, then returned to his meal.
Sev and Arn had moved on to other topics and Ren let himself be drawn back into the conversation until the meal had ended.
Wait, what’s different about this passage?
Point #1: Gosh. I don’t really know. we never did anything with Ren’s parents did we? Let’s have them be conveniently dead so we don’t have to elaborate on them. *guilty grimace* Although, we could have Ren’s father come back from the past mysteriously as the leader of a secret rebellion or,even better, the do-good ascendent to the throne of the empire who has escaped his evil uncle’s (the emperors) clutches! *cliche alert* Or not.
*reads* Alice! You’re a genius! You totally pulled all the many frayed edges in that scene together! Excellent! *does happy dance*
Let’s just make them dead.
Aw, thanks! -blushes-
40.1- Seriously? You can’t tell the difference?
OK, I’ll tell you. In the encounter with Octavio, I just changed and added a few words, nothing drastic. Once he jumps into the harbor, I added a little more description of the water and changed Vushtek to fit better with the description of him on part one of this thread. Arn actually explains Ren’s duties, and makes some reference to the Navy which I imagine is said in a scathing tone. Tam is not as much of an outcast and is not fascinated with fire. He’s still antisocial, but not weirdly antisocial, just kind of aloof. Arn mentions Tam’s coming aboard and we establish that they dislike each other. Tam and Arn aren’t powder monkeys anymore. And I changed the order of a few things.
Oh, wait, Ren’s soaking wet for this entire passage. Maybe I should mention that…
Sorry, I was tired of looking at the computer so I didn’t really read it. OK, I only read the first paragraph and the last sentence.
I could do a few changes if you like to make Ren wetter…
Octavio Pye cast only a glance over Ren’s dripping figure, but the look in his eyes as he did so, was, if not quite sympathetic, not unkind either.
They collected their food and sat down at a rough wooden table, whose wood quickly soaked up the liquid dripping down Ren’s back.
Sev and Arn had moved on to other topics and Ren let himself be drawn back into the conversation until the meal had ended. As they rose from their benches to depart, Ren couldn’t help noticing the wet splotch on the wood he had left behind.
Yay. Happy tweaks.
41.1- Oh, thanks.
Thanks Alice! I shall go over it later, since I must go visit family now. Au revoir! *runs hastily away*
In the pitch-blackness of the hold, Ren strained his ears, listening for any sound other then the creaking hull of the Sea Roc and the lapping of the waves against her sides. He forgot to breathe, and panicked briefly . “Shhh!†hissed Sev, to his right, who for once was silent.
After all of the times that Ren had participated in these escapades in the past two months, he had never fully gotten used to them. The suspense had worn down his nerves, so that even when the Sea Roc was sailing peacefully through the Inner Sea without another ship in sight, Ren sometimes found himself on edge, waiting for the roar of the guns and the sound of splintering wood. The other boys assured him that he would get used to it eventually, but Ren was far from certain that would ever happen.
And there were the cries of “FIRE!†above them, and the guns went off, one after another. Screams rent the air as the Sea Roc shuddered violently and reeled as if she had been struck. Not even pausing for an instant Ren picked up the cartridges and scrambled up the ladder onto the gun deck. Around him, suddenly, was all the chaos of battle. Ren blotted out the roar of the scene before him and focused solely on his mission. Time slowed as he ran across the deck. Adrenaline pumped through his veins. The guns crashed again and again, almost drowned out by hollered orders and the screams of the wounded.
The need for gunpowder was limitless. Ren quickly developed a film of sweat over his skin from his endless marathon. He caught a glimpse of Tam, who met his eye. He was smiling, a delighted smile that Ren had never seen him wear except in battle, and Ren knew that if he was closer he could see the manic flames dancing in Tam’s eyes, even where there was no fire to be reflected. This though unsettled him, and he ran faster, slipping and stumbling on the littered deck.
What happened next, he was never sure of. He knew that there was a noise and flame, nearer to him than ever before, and he found himself lying on his back on the deck. After a few dazed seconds, it occurred to him. My charge exploded, he thought. It exploded. I should be dead. His hands felt warm, and he lifted them to his eyes, struggling to sit up. His hands contained a bright, flaming bundle. Ren’s mind reeled. My hands are on fire. But I feel nothing. I should be DEAD! All thoughts fled from his mind and Ren fell into a dead faint.
He came to, minutes or perhaps hours later, lying on the gun deck in a pool of blood. He jumped to his feet, horrified, and ran his hands over his body before he realized that the blood was not his own. Around him, sailors were dragging the dead and wounded away. The battle was over. And here was Arn, hurrying over with Sev in his wake, and there was Tam, standing aloof as usual, staring at Ren with a grave expression.
“Ren, Ren!†shrilled Sev frantically. “What happened?â€
Ar was more composed, but his face was pale underneath the soot . “Tam says your charge exploded,†he said.
“It did,†said Ren. “Or…I thought it did.â€
“It’s amazing you’re still alive!†Sev exclaimed.
Ren nodded slowly, his memory returning to him in confused flashes. Could his mind possibly be playing tricks on him?
Arn gasped, snapping Ren out of his abstraction. “Your hands!†Arn cried in alarm. Ren glanced absentmindedly at his palms and exhaled in shock. Through the thick layer of soot that covered his hands, bloody gashes could be seen on his skin.
“But how…†said Ren. “I thought… My hands were on fire,†he said.
Arn looked up Ren with more concern and fear than Ren had ever seen in his friend’s face, and then at Tam, and then once more at Ren. “You’re coming with me,†he said, but his briskness seemed feigned. “If these get infected…â€
Ren nodded agreeably and allowed himself to be led away by his friend. Glancing over his shoulder, he met the gaze of Tam, who was watching him with an unnerving gaze. Something told Ren that he had a lot of explaining to do once he escaped from Vushtek.
Hours later, Ren emerged from the cockpit, very much shaken, with bandages wrapped around his palms. His own injury was nothing but a scratch, when compared to the horrors he had just seen.
Ren ran down to the main deck and joined the rest of his watch as they went about their various duties. He spotted Tam with a holystone, scrubbing the deck and Ren bent to join him. He knew that Tam would want to know of everything that had transpired during the battle.
“Ren! Come help over here!†came a friendly voice. Arn and several other crewmembers were patching a sail. Arn motioned for Ren to come over. Ren met eyes with Tam, promising in one look that he would explain later.
The older boy smiled warmly as Ren approached and handed him a needle.
“I’m really glad that you weren’t too badly hurt during the battle, Ren.†Arn said absently, re-threading his own needle. “Sev makes me nervous. He’s just so young. And Tam just creeps me out.â€
Ren nodded, piecing together the canvas with clumsy stitches. “So, how was the rest of the battle?†he asked. “I mean, after…y’know.â€
“It was great,†said Arn. “And there’s heaps of money–not that we’ll get much of it, but it’s some, at least.â€
Ren nodded. They sat in companionable silence for a while.
“Did your charge really explode?†Arn burst out suddenly.
“Yes,†said Ren. “At least, I think so.â€
Arn nodded and looked away, out to the horizon. “Tam’s charge exploded once,†he said. “Back when he was pretty new, like you. He wasn’t injured either.â€
“I’m injured,†said Ren, not sure what else to say. He was thinking of that mad fire flickering in Tam’s eyes, and the look of pure joy on Tam’s face. He shuddered.
Arn didn’t seem to notice. “You’re not injured much,†he said. “Not half as bad as most people are when a pound of gunpowder blows up in their hands. I’ve seen three powder monkeys die when their charge exploded, and one more who got burned so bad he was blind when his wounds healed. You and Tam are the only two people I’ve ever seen come through that unscathed.â€
Ren said nothing, but in his mind, cogs began to turn, faster and faster. Soon he was lost in thought, and the rest of the watch passed in silence.
“Ren…†muttered Arn as they tiptoed along the dark deck. Starlight danced on the surface of the ocean. “This is a bad idea.â€
“I have to know,†said Ren firmly. “You have the candle?â€
Arn removed his hand from where it was cupped around the flame, and the light sprang up, revealing the boys’ expressions: Arn, grim, Ren, solemn and vaguely frightened.
Ren screwed his eyes shut and extended his hand. “Do it,†he said bravely.
Arn looked from Ren to the candle, and back again. “Ren,†he said. “It was probably just a fluke. I’m not going to set you on fire. I can’t.†He turned to go.
Ren reached out and snatched the candle. It guttered in the draft created by the sudden movement, and then flared up, brighter than ever, as Tam appeared, standing a few feet away.
“Ren,†he said. “Don’t do that.†There was none of the haughtiness in his face now, no fire in his eyes. Only a boy’s face, and a boy’s voice, speaking with earnest urgency.
Ren shook his head. “I have to know, Tam. Unless you can explain, I’m going to do this.â€
In the darkness, neither Ren nor Arn saw the misery and indecision in Tam’s face. Ren waited a moment, half-expecting Tam to explain, but when he said nothing, the former slowly tipped the candle and lowered it to his hand.
“Don’t!†Tam cried hoarsely, and lunged at the candle, clapping his hands over the flame, but it wouldn’t die. It clung to Tam’s hand without burning it, and tears were sliding silently down Tam’s face as he beat it out. Ren stared in fascination and horror as the fire grew, and Tam’s tears had stopped now; he was growing desperate, muttering faster and faster as his eyes grew wider and wider and expression more and more alarmed. And it went out.
There were shouts from the watch, who had seen the flames, and then Octavio Pye was there, towering over the sailors, demanding to know what had happened. Ren and Arn exchanged glances. “Well,†Ren started.
“We were going for a walk,†put in Arn.
“I couldn’t sleep,†said Ren, “and I went for a walk and found Arn. so we were walking around and Tam came up and he surprised us, so…†there he ran out of inspiration and foundered. Arn came to his aid.
“And he surprised us, so I dropped my candle, only he caught it before it started a fire, and it….†He faltered, and Ren could not pick up the thread. How could they explain the size and brightness of the fire, when Tam was standing there, slightly singed, silent, tear-stained, but perfectly unscathed?
No one said a word. Captain Pye’s eyes narrowed. “You and Eizid go back to your berths,†he ordered Arn. “You,†he said to Ren, “come with me. And you lot†(this directed at the sailors on watch) “get back to your duties.â€
Ren followed the captain reluctantly. Since his first day of capture, months ago, he had never once been directly spoken to by the captain, and he liked it that way. Pirates were just like anyone else, if a bit rougher and coarser and more prone to bloodshed than the majority of Hermitopolans, but Octavio Pye was different. Before Ren had full taken in his situation, he was standing in the cabin of Captain Pye, the Krakeneater. Appropriately enough, there was a half-eaten plate of kraken calamari sitting on the table. The Captain took a seat, but he did not offer one to Ren, and the boy was too frightened to ask for one himself, so he remained standing.
“Ren Splayr,†said Captain Pye. “Tell me the entire story, from the beginning. That’s an order,†he added, when Ren tried to protest.
“Yes, sir,†said Ren timidly. “During the last battle, my charge exploded.â€
Octavio raised his eyebrows. “Did it now,†he said, with interest. “Continue.â€
“It exploded. But I wasn’t hurt–not much at least. And Arn said how everyone died when their charge exploded, except me and Tam. And then I remembered one time when I was little and I stuck my hand in the fire, and didn’t hurt, and then Perlan—my uncle–got all serious and I heard him talking to my aunt about it, and I can’t remember what they said, but anyway–†he paused for breath, aware that he was babbling, and nearly apologized, but the Captain was looking interested and serious, so he went on. “Anyway, I thought maybe it had something to do with fire, so I wanted to stick my hand in a fire again, and see what happened.†Here the Captain drew a sharp breath, and Ren stopped again. “Sir?â€
“You are far too bright for your own good, boy. But go on.â€
“But Arn wouldn’t light my bandages, so I was going to do it, only Tam came up and told me not to, but I was going to do it anyway, but he snuffed the candle. Or tried to,†he added, puzzled. “It wouldn’t go out, but it didn’t burn him.â€
The Captain had pushed away his calamari, and was pulling maps out and unrolling them. “You said your uncle knows?†he asked.
“Knew, sir,†said Ren, as politely as he could. “He’s dead, sir.â€
“Yes, yes. But he knew?â€
“Knew what, sir?â€
The Captain sighed, and let the map roll back up on itself. “Ren Splayr, there are two people in the world who are like you, and you are one of them. You know of stormmasters and alchemists, of course, who can control the elements.â€
“Of course, sir. But I’m not one. Not a very powerful one, anyway.â€
“No. You are infinitely more rare. Your talent is not that of water or wind or earth–yours is fire.â€
This did not have the impact that Octavio had expected. Ren continued to stand there, looking confused. “But sir,†he said, “there isn’t a fire talent.â€
“There is,†said the Captain. “As I said, there are only two people in all of Sphaere who have that power. The Empire knows of only one, and they have heard rumors of a second, which is you, but they certainly don’t spread the knowledge. I too had heard rumors of a second fire powerful, but I didn’t expect it to be you, a stray and an orphan in the streets of Hermetopolis!â€
Ren was too confused to mind being called a stray. “You said there were two. Who’s the other one? It’s Tam, isn’t it, sir?â€
The Captain shook his head. “That is for me to know. Leave now. And don’t tell anyone what I have told you, understand? No one.â€
Ren nodded and fled the premises.
Octavio sighed, staring at the place where the boy had been. Two years ago, he might of thought of this as an extraordinary piece of good luck. Both fire powerfuls here, under his very nose! But he had had too much trouble with the Empire, and the boy Tam exasperated him. Still, it was better he had the boys, troublesome though they may be, than the Empire have either one of them. They would give him a remarkable advantage, provided the Empire didn’t know of them. If the Splayr boy’s uncle had suspected his nephew’s power, if he had told the Empire… but the lad had been running, he had nearly been killed. The Empire couldn’t know; they wouldn’t risk wounding such a valuable asset. Octavio took another deep breath and rolled up the map. They would go to Lithuslov as planned, and the Empire would never follow them there. All was well.
I really like your additions! It gives the story better flow! *does happy dance again*
Though… there was one sentence that bothered me… *is guilty* I read it and… it’s a very small tweak but… yeah. This sentence drove me insane! Must change word!
Glancing over his shoulder, he met the gaze of Tam, who was watching him with an unnerving gaze stare.
SFTDP. That was supposed to go to post 44. This will go to post 45. My bad.
I really like it. It’s good how you made Octavio more of a captain and less.. well… how he was before, which was not good. I don’t know whether we should have more of a transition at the beginning of the section of not though. It kind of caught me off guard at first.
Why was Tam crying if he wasn’t hurt?
Besides that! I think it is totally awesome!
46.1- I figured Tam was crying partly from desperation and partly because he doesn’t like to think of the Unknowables and partly because he’s being really obvious with his powers that he’s kept secret for so long.
OK. That makes sense. Thanks!
The days passed with monotonous regularity. Ren avoided Arn, and Tam avoided Ren. Arn watched both Tam and Ren with a dubious aloofness, and Sev remained perfectly oblivious that anything had occurred at all.
It was some days after Ren’s attempted experiment and the subsequent talk with the Captain, that the storm appeared. It blew out of the south with unbelievable fury and suddenness. Before there was any hint of a darkening sky, it was upon them. Massive towers of cloud piled up in the sky, crowned by lightning.
“Tzil! Niria! I need you on deck!†bellowed the Captain. “We have to quell the storm!â€
Tzil Azuro, the ship’s weatherweaver and first mate, rushed up, followed by a young woman of about twenty years: Niria, the waveworker. “We’ll do our best, Captain,†said Niria, “but there’s something wrong about these waves…â€
Tzil licked his finger and raised it up. Small strands of lightning seemed to crackle across the tip. “Niria’s right,†he said urgently. “This is a made storm.â€
“Can you quell it?†the captain asked.
“Well… together, Niria and I are a match for any lone stormmaster on the Inner Sea, but this one must have been sent by a confederation of twenty, possibly more. We need to find a safe harbor, and fast.â€
The captain considered for a moment, and then began barking orders. “Reef the mainsail! Niria, make sure the waves don’t swamp us. Tzil, keep the wind to a moderate level so the canvas doesn’t burst. We’re going to ride this storm out until we can reach the isle of Lithuslov. We’re not far now.â€
Ren stood still as confusion immediately fell upon the ship, and the crew ran every-which-way, not sure what they were supposed to be doing. He wondered where Lithuslov was. He vaguely remembered learning about the Free Isles in school, but that had been three years ago, and the teacher had hurried over the subject. They were “uninhabited,†that is, inhabited by rebels and pirates–the very sort of people with which Ren now spent every moment of his life.
Lightning cracked, and Ren started as an idea struck him. He ran up to the captain. “Sir, could I help the stormmasters? You said I had talent, and lightning–â€
Octavio Pye cut him off. “Ask them.â€
Ren trotted up to Tzil and Niria, standing with closed eyes in the middle of the hustle and bustle. “Could I help?†he asked, reluctant to disturb them.
Niria opened her eyes. “What?â€
“I said, could I help?†repeated Ren. “The Captain says I’ve got power–not this kind of power, fire power but lightning’s sort of fire isn’t it?†he finished hurriedly.
Tzil and Niria exchanged glances, half amused, half frustrated. “So this is the Captain’s new prodigy,†said Niria. “I knew something was up.â€
“We haven’t got time for this,†said Tzil, then turning to Ren: “Look, you’re untrained and I don’t know your powers anyway, so maybe you can deal with lightning, maybe you can’t. I appreciate the offer, but we don’t have time right now.†He closed his eyes and went back to muttering spells.
“Sorry,†added Niria, before following suit.
“I understand,†muttered Ren, and picked his way across the tossing, sloping deck.
A colossal wave, driven by the mad wind, mounted ahead. The Sea Roc was lifted up by the wave and flung through the air like a toy. Tzil and Niria rose into the air, wreathed in glittering chains of electricity. Ren managed to grab hold of a bulwark and prevent himself from being swept away. Tam Eizid was not so lucky. The older boy was smashed off the deck by a freezing, gray plume of water. Several seabirds rode its crest, screaming triumphantly.
“Stormy petrels,†Captain Pye muttered. Then he shouted, “Throw Tam a line!†Another wave broke over the deck, making him cough and splutter. He knew the chances of saving Tam were virtually nil, but he had to try.
“It’s no good, Captain,†Tzil said. His voice rang like a bell through the clamor of the storm. “I recognized those petrels. One of them had a scar above its eye.â€
“How does a petrel get a scar like that?â€
“I put it there. Those aren’t petrels, they’re wave spirits, and they’re in the service of Rake Vashkar, weatherweaver of the Blood Storm.â€
Soon the storm began to clear, leaving with the petrels. Captain Pye went down below, and the crew hurried around, trying to clean up the mess left by the storm. Ren stood on the deck, shocked and sad, and more than a little frightened. If Tam was the second powerful, and if the storm had been contrived to snatch him from the pirates—who knew what evil use his powers may be put to? Ren had a horrible image of Sphaere burning, of Hermetopolis consumed in flames. He closed his eyes and tried to think of something else, but he couldn’t keep the thoughts away.
dude. This is good! I feel sort of guilty because I’m not really doing anything. But at the same time, I don’t want to do anything because I’ll mess it up.
48.1- I don’t really mind editing it all myself, but then I feel guilty later for rewriting everything. So I’d be glad if you’d help, but if you won’t do anything of the actual rewriting, do point out things that I need to rewrite and I shall correct them directly. Anyway, if you mess it up too badly I’ll be only too happy to sweep in and correct things. Ugh. Sometimes I despise myself.
I’ll try to help! I can’t let myself fall into a non-writing state. *is determined* Though if you’d like to check over me, I would love that!
50- OK, will do. Tell me if I go all control-freaky though, ‘K?
OK!
Hi! I’m kiwimuncher’s friend and she wants me to read this, and I, being an excellent friend and actually having a break in my schedule of work, work, work (school) right now, have so graciously agreed. I’ve only read some of the first section so far, but it really sounds like a real book. I hope you really do get in published. Umm, not to sound critical on my first post on here, but kiwimuncher DID ask me to read it and I can be very particular about language and wording, so here goes;
1) When Arn is explaining Rem’s duties to him, he says quarters are cramped and they “only” have three powder monkeys not including Rem, does he mean the quarters are to small for even 3 powder monkeys or does he mean they “already” have 3 powder monkeys and that’s a lot?- again, i’m a little particular and just have to make sure I understand.
2) When Tam offers REm his hand because he fell into the wall, maybe it should be “in the next instant he disappeared” instead of “in that instant, he disappeared” because it implies REm did not even have time to pull himself up, Tam just left
Ok, again: sorry for unintentional nitpicking on wording, but kiwimuncher is my bestest friend in the world, and she asked me to read and help edit, so I have to give it my best shot because I would love to see her name in print one day.
CLL! Hello hello! The first post might be clarified later on in this thread, since we’ve edited a little since that post up there. Thankyou for helping! *is very happy* Yay! CLL is here!!!
Ah, thankee much!
1) It’s small for three powder monkeys. But is that line even still in there? I swear I took it out because Arn and Tam aren’t powder monkeys…must do that.
2) Mm true. Will change.
If you could be a bit…broader about what needs to be changed, I would appreciate it lots because nitpicking is very good but not really much fun, and everyone who comes points out little things when I need to know gaping plot holes that I have to rethink entirely and rewrite five scenes entirely. That’s fun, the rethinking bit especially.
But thanks!
Waaaaait…I already took out the bit where fell and Tam helped him up, didn’t I? Changed it at least. Yes I did!
Yes, that is true. Gaping plot holes are a problem. *wince*
But they’re fun to fix!
My friend never returned. *plans to annoy her about it*
Anywho… school is a crazy place I don’t have all tha tmuch time anymore.
Almost as quickly as it had begun, the storm ended as if a giant hand had swept across the sky and wiped the darkness, including the petrels, away. Ren opened his eyes cautiously, as if he wasn’t quite sure that if he were to look out at the world around him the deck would not once more begin to roll nauseously beneath his feet. He watched mutely as the captain pulled Tzil aside and began conversing hurriedly with him in a lowered voice. Ren turned away from them and stared out at the shimmering ocean. A numbness was creeping into his body, and he gripped the ship’s railing so that he would not collapse with sheer exhaustion and shock. There was no telling how long he had been a part of the crew of the Searoc. He had certainly seen lives lost, but he had never witnessed the death of one so close to him. He hadn’t known Tam very well but he had been a companion, albeit sometimes an exasperating one. Plus, there was a chance that Tam had shared more in common with Ren then anyone else could possibly ever have. Ren wished that he had tried to talk to Tam before… Footsteps clattered on the wooden boards as someone came to join Ren by the rail. He didn’t have to look up to know that it was Arn.
“You Okay?†Arn asked quietly.
Ren nodded slowly, avoiding his friend’s eyes. Arn hesitated and looked like he was going to say more but was interrupted by Captain Pye.
“All hands on deck!†the captain bellowed in his loudest voice. “There’s a ship to patch up if you haven’t noticed you lazy louts! We need to be at Lithusluv by morning!†Motioning to the second in command to send the crewmen to do their separate tasks, the captain went down below. As Ren turned away from the ocean to follow Arn, he felt a stab of grief. Tam, the only other person who might actually understand him, was either dead or captured by Sanguiz Empire. Ren was essentially alone, the last of his kind.
———————————————————
How is this? I think I pretty much changed the whole thing. *looks a little sheepish*
54- Not bad. It’s a little contradictory in spots, and a little grammatically awkward in others, but nothing that can’t be easily fixed.
OK! Yay!
Hi guys! I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to post again but before I didn’t have an online class, and now I do and it’s such a mess with technical problems all the time, and anyway, sorry! Yes, Alice, i know you’re right, nitpicking really isn’t fun and i will try to avoid it, it was just all i could do then because i had only read a little into chapter 2 and i don’t know the plot well enough to spot holes, but i’m going to get to reading! Actually, i was thinking about printing out a few pages at a time (not to worry, i will recycle them) or copying and saving it to my computer if that is okay, because i read faster off the computer and it would be portable. And *shhh, don’t tell* but i kinda like going through papers and stuff with highlighters and stuff and fixing them. It’s like being really powerful like “ha, that sentence is GONE”. Anyways, kiwimuncher nagged me to get on here, so ha, I posted! Umm, could either of you tell me how to change my picture because it looks like an angry envelope to me?…See ya!
If you type in a slightly altered e-mail address, your avatar will change, too. Or you could get a gravatar account and choose one.
hello again CLL! You can get a gravatar, if you like. Just google gravatar and set up an account there. It’s free and no problem to do. That way, you can put in any picture you want.
You’re right. Higlighters are fun.
I do love highlighters in their many colors and thanks, i’m going to try to set up a gravatar account. Umm, ya’ll keep saying that things have been taken out or fixed in a different version. where is this version? Like, am i reading the wrong copy or is Alice editing it or something on her computer and it just isn’t on here?
I haven’t been on here in a month. *is very ashamed* We need to work on this or something! I’ll try to add something…
The waves crashing around Tam were relentless in their quest to pull him away from the SeaRoc. It was all he could do to keep his head above water for several seconds at a time before the furious waves would push him under the ocean’s surface once more. After what seemed like hours, Tam’s exhausted limbs became so numb that he could barely lift them above his head. Lightning flashed across the horizon and ghostly shapes swirled around him. He gulped at the air with a desperate will to live and flailed his limbs against the current that was pushing him towards some unknown destination. A screech from above was the only warning Tam received as a wave as tall as a mountain crashed over his head. With one last strangled gasp, the waves consumed him.
I was thinking… this might be a good time to introduce the unknowables… they could be talking to him as Tam’s unconcious. Then we can just have him wake up in a cell with Vashkar… what do you think?
Unknowables, fine. Cell, NO. They’re trying to win him over first. They’ll be really nice to him at first.
So… comfy king size bed with little chocolates on the pillow and unlimited room service with hot swim suit models offering to give Tam massages? Heh heh. Just kidding…..
59.1- Not in so many words, but that’s the general idea, yes.
OK……………… Well, I don’t have all tha tlong, but I can try to add something…
Waves lapped effortlessly around Tam’s still form. The storm had eventually died down and the harsh intruders in the ocean sky had diasppeared, leaving Tam’s exhausted body staying afloat as if by a miracle in the great mass of liquid around him. However, Tam was quite oblivious to all of this, his eyes closed peacefully and his lips smiling slightly in the bliss of unconciousness. Suddenly, Tam’s forehead creased with apprehension. His eyes flickered madly under their lids and his entire body began to shake as if it was being wracked by seizures. “No no no! Not me! Not me! Go away!” Tam screamed, covering his face with his hands in terror. His violent thrashings upset his balance along the clear surface of the ocean, dunking him under the surface. Gagging compulsively through the seawater that poured into his mouth, Tam woke with a start and resurfaced. Still shivering, he tread water so that he could get his bearings. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to see. He was surrouned on all sides by water that stretched as far as the he could see, except…. Tam squinched his eyes desperately. Perhaps, if he was not mistaken, there was a small shape on the horizon. Maybe it was the Sea Roc and he hadn’t been blown so far off course after all! A determination for life coursing through his veins, Tam began to swim towards his fate.
After rereading this. I don’t like it. I dont’ know why. I think it goes too fast. *is frustrated*
Where are you Alice?
-raises hand gloomily-
I will start being around more, or will try, at least. I’m super busy with life–or the school part anyway.
Yeah, I know what you mean. I have that problem as well.
Well, I’ve simply got to keep this thread alive. I think we were doing pretty good for a while there and now we’ve flopped again. So, Tam is now going to reach the ship of his doom. Heh. Overdramatic much, yes? I wanna start with Letor’s interrogation. Let’s see here….
Captain Octavio Pye hurried away from the bustle of the major working areas of the ship, hardly glancing at his flustered underlings attempting to repair the storm ravaged vessel. Octavio Pye had a lot more problems then the damage of the SeaRoc. He had an entire empire to patch up.
Carefully climbing down a steep ladder, Pye found himself in a small room with a single door leading off of it that was clearly in the lowest part of the ship. He turned to his companion, Tzil, who had just joined him at the bottom of the ladder.
“You say he came down from the storm?”
“Yes sir.”
“And he had no help from any wayward storm-master like yourself?”
Tzils face was as unmoving as stone. “I could not say sir.”
Captain Pye smirked cheerfully and pulled a key from his sleeve, which fitted neatly into the lock of the door in front of him. With a rusty screech, the door creaked open, revealing 2 figures, one fidgeting anxiously in a chair and another lying motionless on a wooden cot. Niria, the figure in the chair, leaped up at the sight of Tzil and the Captain and rushed over to them so that they barely had a moment to get through the door before she was onto them.
“Sir, there’s been no sound from him, but his breathing has strengthened and I’ve patched his wounds. One wing has been torn. The scar over his left eye is an old wound I think.”
“Thankyou Niria.” Captain Pye responded gently. “That will be all.”
This a greatful an exhausted nod, Niria rushed out of the cell.
Octavio Pye strode up to the prostrate form and raised his eyebrow at the red feather on the creature’s right wing.
“Very well Tzil.” Pye said reluctantly. “You may question the petral. However, I expect to return to see him unscathed. I must attend to my ship.”
Giving the storm-master one last nod, Captain Octavio Pye exited the room.
And that is all I can do tonight…
Hello?
Tzil waited until the door was close firmly behind him until he strode across the room. He stopped by the petral spirit’s side and leaned over the bird quietly, with only the veins bulging out of his neck to suggest that he was anything but utterly calm. “Letor.” whispered Tzil, prodding the petral with one long figer, “Letor! Wake up I command you!” The petrel-spirit stirred, feebly waved one wing, and opened its eyes. Seeing Tzil, it suddenly made a frantic motion to get away. In a blink of an eye, Tzil grabbed the neck of the injured bird and slammed it against the wall, causing the table to tumble to the ground in the process. 

“Where are they?†Tzil demanded, shaking the petral mercilessly. Letor made a cry of pain, and 
Tzil shook him again. “Where are they taking the boy?†
Letor attempted to twist his petrel features into a puzzled look and failed.
“I know they have him,†spat Tzil. “That’s why Vashkar sent the storm. He’s tried it before. Now where are they taking him?â€

Letor spoke for the first time. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.†Tzil grinned with anticipation. 
“We’ve done battle before, Letor,†he said. “You left me for dead. I’ve no qualms about doing the same to you, only I won’t leave time to finish the job!†He tightened his grip on the bird’s neck, causing it to squeak. “You’re very small, bird. And very weak.â€

“Fine, fine! I’ll tell you!†gasped Letor. “They are going to Helean City, where Mordran is preparing for the fight of all Sphaere!â€
Tzil hissed and leaned closer toward the petral. “The boy. Why do they want the boy?”
“What…. boy?” Letor asked nervously.
Tzil grit his teeth and replied, “The boy they’ve kidnapped. Tam Eizid! Who else?”
Letor remained stubbornly silent. Tzil’s hand moved to the long, sharp knife at his side.
“He’s bait,†said Letor quickly. “He’s a favorite of the Captain, right? You won’t just let him die, will you?â€â€¨
Tzil stared at the ceiling, his jaw jumping and his fist tightening over his knife handle. “Don’t lie to me bird. I would kill you, and I would enjoy it.”
Letor blinked at Tzil innocently. “I spoke the tru- AHHHH!”
Tzil’s fist collided with the petral’s beak with such force that the bird’s body shot out of his grasp and slammed against the closed door. Leaping across the room like a leopard after its prey, Tzil ran up to Letor and kicked him in the side, a look of pure joy filling his features as he did so. “Get up bird. GET UP!” he shouted.
When the petral failed to respond, Tzil swore and took a closer look at his prisoner, who appeared unconscious.
—————————————————————————-
Now I was thinking… Letor escapes later somehow right? Erm…. should we include that later or should we just have him escape now? That might be easier….
*summons Alice back to the RRR*
It didn’t work. Alice I know you’re here!
-waves cheerily-
((It’s nice to see a little activity on this venerable thread.))
Yes, it is. Yay! Alice exists! *waves back*
Alice, so do you think it would be a good idea to have Letor escape now? I want to write, but I don’t want to make any major changes without you agreeing with them. You know, team-i-ness and all…
Hm um. What about tomorrow I read everything and comment?
OK. I’m still here, just to let you know. This will make me guilty. But I might add on later just because I want to do something, ANYthing. I absolutely refuse to let this die! However, I must go shovel snow now. So Au Revoir!
I’m just so confused, Kiwi…I can’t remember what’s already been rewritten and what hasn’t. And I don’t really have time to read the entire story again.
I know what you mean. I just thought that we were fixing the beginning for now, so that’s what I’ve been writing.
meh.
I’m still here. I’m just not coming on here all that often because of ridiculous school work. But I’ve definitely not lost hope! Never give in! *is determined*
And just because I’m not posting, doesn’t mean I’m not here. I’m just hanging out. This thread isn’t dead. Absolutley NOT.
I realize that this thread is sort of absolutely not dead, but even so, if it’s not too late, I’d like to attempt to join. Could someone please possibly write a brief summary of what the story’s mainly about and what’s just happened so I can decide on a character *coughkiwimunchercough*? ‘Twould be very helpful, thanks! (I’m in a very let’s-join-as-many-RPGs-as-we-can mood tonight. :D)
79-
1. It’s not an RPG. It’s an RRR.
2. It’s done. Over. We’ve been editing it.
3. You can still join if you like.
1. Oh. Sorry.
2. Oh. Also sorry, I guess? Er..congratulations?
3. Sure. What would I be required to do?
Oh hello! Please stay! This thread is absolutely NOT dead! We sort of wrote this story that right now needs editing, so we’re going through it and making it better and fixing up any parts that don’t exactly make sense or don’t meet up with other parts of the story or just annoy us in general. You should probably read the story, which I think is posted n this thread. if you read after that you can see stuff we’ve changed.
And sorry that I once again have not been here because I’ve had evilness exams.
And while I’m at it…
I was just a wondering about the mess with Letor. He annoys me. I mean, on minute he’s trapped on the Sea Roc and then he disappears until he magically appears outside the ship once again chasing the inhabitants around and it’s almost as if Captain Pye is thinking “Wow. Since when did he escape?” What I was saying before was that we could just have Letor escape after his interrogation, which would clear up all that mess. What do you think?
Well, happy summer people. I really wanna get this started up again, but I can’t do it alone. I mean, I know that we all agree that this RRR needs work still. I mean… yeah.
83- Looking back on this RRR, I think that its only truly redeeming feature is how much fun we had with it. I don’t think it’s worth restarting. It was a lot of fun to do, but the story’s really not very good. We just had way too much fun with making it exciting, and fell over into the domain of melodrama and cliches.
Alas. I suppose that you’re right.
I agree with how much fun it was.
Just saying.
So it wasn’t a total waste of time.