Plague Arcanist (Frith Chronicles Book 4)

by Shami Stovall

  “This is Volke Savan, the knightmare arcanist,” Karna said as she flashed me a quick smile. “And these two are his associates.” She didn’t even look at Fain or Adelgis when she introduced them, she just gestured with a wave of her hand.

  The captain glared. “He needs to be cleaned up and his clothes burned.”

  “I’ll ask Tammi to handle everything.”

  The morning sun lifted over the mountains on the horizon, backlighting Karna and Captain Devlin. I lifted an arm to shield my eyes from the rays.

  “I’m sorry we had to meet this way,” the captain said. “Karna says you have a plan to get a cure, so I’ll help for now. But listen to me—if you so much as scratch anyone on this ship, I’ll make you regret every decision that brought you here.”

  I nodded. “I understand.”

  “Good. Then we need to leave the Argo Empire as soon as possible. Follow instructions until you’re properly cleaned up.”

  2

  The Sun Chaser

  The Argo Empire was the largest nation around. Technically, it had been almost twice its size hundreds of years ago, but the late queen—assassinated last night—had allowed the edges of her territory to rebel and break away, resulting in several smaller kingdoms and island nations. With the capital city of Thronehold in turmoil, I assumed the Argo Empire would become even smaller.

  The late queen’s kin, Prince Rishan, had helped the assassins gain access to the castle, but not many knew of his treachery. Last I saw, he had assumed the throne and intended to rule the entire empire.

  Only sovereign dragon arcanists were allowed to lead the Argo Empire due to the fact they had a prosperity aura that helped maintain growth and wealth. Prince Rishan was, in fact, a sovereign dragon arcanist, but he had been bonded for less than a full day and certainly hadn’t trained enough to develop a magical aura. That meant the other sovereign dragon arcanists who ruled over territory in the empire would surely protest Rishan’s power in the capital. It could lead to further rebellion or infighting. Perhaps civil war.

  I understood why Captain Devlin wanted to leave as soon as possible.

  Instead of dwelling on problems I couldn’t solve, I instead focused on my surroundings.

  The Sun Chaser had three decks, and I was taken down below to wash up. Since this was a ship in the air and not the sea, they didn’t have much water, but they gave me as much as they could spare along with a washtub. Since Fain was immune to the plague, he accompanied me below and took away my clothing after I stripped.

  I sat on a bench in the washroom, my feet in the shallow tub, my back against the bulkhead, and my gaze on the ceiling. The Sun Chaser creaked like any other ship, but not with the rocking of waves, only when it moved from one air current to the next. The howling of wind beyond the porthole was a new experience.

  Luthair moved as a shadow from my feet to the bench. He didn’t form into his suit of armor, instead remaining a puddle of darkness.

  “My arcanist,” he said.

  I didn’t move when I replied, “Yes?”

  “Are you done bathing?”

  I glanced down. All my injuries had healed thanks to my magic, and the water in the tub was a sickly pink from the dried blood I had scrubbed from my skin. As far as I could tell, I was clean.

  “Yes,” I muttered.

  “It pains me to see you like this.”

  “Sick?”

  “Despondent,” Luthair said.

  I didn’t reply. What could I even say to that? Should I be cheerful and carefree? Of course not. And I was exhausted, but my mind wouldn’t stop replaying all the scenes that had brought me here. It was like nothing was right, and I was waiting for everything to fall back into place.

  The door to the washroom opened, but the room wasn’t large enough for it to swing all the way out. Fain stepped in, reminding me just how cramped the room really was. I moved down on the bench so he could take a seat next to me. His wendigo waited out in the hall.

  “Here,” Fain said as he handed over a new pair of trousers and a white button-up shirt. “But they said you should wait to dress until their surgeon comes to see you.”

  I set the clothes on my lap in an attempt to be modest, but it was difficult to care. “Thank you.”

  Fain cracked his frostbitten fingers. He glanced to me, then back to his hands. Then to the door. I didn’t understand what he wanted—maybe to leave?—but he just sighed and leaned against the bulkhead. “After you get some rest, would you mind helping me with my magic?”

  I lifted an eyebrow.

  Fain continued, “I was never formally trained, and what little we did back in Thronehold helped me understand that I need guidance. I just thought, well, since we have to travel south to find Adelgis’s father, that we might have time.”

  In theory, Adelgis’s father, Theasin Venrover, was crafting a cure for the plague. He had left Thronehold weeks ago and headed south, though no one knew his destination. It would require searching, but in an airship, I suspected we’d be able to catch up to him.

  But what if we couldn’t?

  I tried not to think negative thoughts, but they popped up faster than usual. Much faster.

  Fain must’ve realized I had mentally drifted away from the conversation because he placed a hand on my bare shoulder to get my attention. His blackened fingers had no warmth—just an icy touch.

  “Hey,” he said.

  I waited, uncertain of why his tone had shifted from casual to low and serious.

  “At one point I thought dying would be a lot easier than living.”

  “Fain,” I muttered. “I don’t—”

  “You were the one who helped me then.” Fain tightened his cold grip on my shoulder. “Let me help you now.”

  Although I wasn’t sure if he could do anything, I answered with a slow nod. Perhaps magic training would distract me.

  The door opened a second time and hit Fain in the knee. A woman stood in the doorframe, her curly brown hair framing her youthful, heart-shaped face. She wore pants with five times as many pockets as usual and even had a belt with several pouches.

  “Hello,” she said, her tone hesitant. “I’m Tammi, the surgeon for the Sun Chaser.”

  Fain stood, offered a quick bow of his head, and then shuffled past her. “Pardon me.”

  She moved all the way into the washroom and shut the door behind him.

  I held my new clothes tightly on my lap, wondering why they didn’t want me to dress before Tammi had arrived. This seemed awkward. And unnecessary.

  Tammi sat on the bench where Fain had been. She smiled, though it was forced. I tried to offer half a smile in return, but I couldn’t muster the enthusiasm.

  “You’re remarkably… tall,” Tammi said, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

  I nodded.

  I stood just over six feet, and I suspected Tammi was closer to five. The difference in our heights was exacerbated when she slouched.

  “The captain said I should give you some bandaging.” Tammi produced several rolls of gauze from her many pockets, all neatly bundled.

  “I’m not injured,” I said.

  “No, but you might be. Since we want to prevent the spread of any plague-ridden blood, this will help.” She unraveled the gauze and pulled on the sides, showcasing how durable it was. “This is made from wootz cotton. Have you heard of it?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “It comes from copper plants to the west. They’re minor magical shrubs with interesting colors and steel-like stems. The great thing about it is that wootz cotton is mighty absorbent. The plan is to keep you wrapped up, at least over the major organs, so that if you get hurt, the wootz cotton will prevent blood from going everywhere until your arcanist magic allows you to heal.” Tammi scooted closer and motioned for me to sit away from the bulkhead. “I’m going to wrap you real quick, then I’ll take the tub and dispose of the water, and you’ll be free to walk around the ship. Sound good?”

  Tammi seemed old
er than me, but only by a few years. I would be seventeen soon, and I suspected she was in her early twenties.

  I held out my hand. “I can help with the wrapping.”

  She replied with a nervous laugh. “Actually, I’d prefer if you didn’t move around much.”

  “Okay,” I said with a shrug.

  “And I’d also prefer if you stared at the opposite bulkhead while I worked.”

  I narrowed my eyes, confused by the request. When Tammi didn’t explain, I exhaled and turned away from her. “If that’s what you want.”

  What did it matter? Looking at the wall or looking at her—nothing would change.

  Tammi set to wrapping my chest and stomach with the gauze, her movements quick and effortless, befitting any master surgeon. She didn’t speak while she worked, nor did she hum or even make a noise. Then she wrapped my upper arms, shoulders, and armpits—moving my limbs with gentle motions and then waiting for me to hold still while she finished.

  When it came time to wrap my upper thigh, I felt more like my normal, awkward self. I kept my new clothes pressed against everything scandalous as she bandaged the parts of my body with major arteries.

  “Done,” Tammi said as she scooted away on the bench. “It’ll probably be warm while you wear this. I suggest you drink lots of water and stay in cool locations. Like… below deck.”

  “All right.”

  Tammi got up and left the washroom, the same forced smile on her face as she closed the door.

  Once alone, I quickly dressed in the trousers and shirt. Tammi had been right. The warmth from the wootz cotton made it seem like the dead of summer under my clothes, but I appreciated the fact that I had a layer of protection if I were cut.

  I exited the washroom.

  Tammi and two other ladies were in the corridor, waiting. They all put on their fake smiles and waited for me to shuffle by before they entered the washroom. Since they weren’t arcanists—they had no marks on their forehead—they couldn’t contract the arcane plague. It was safe for them to dispose of the water and clean the room.

  Luthair followed me in the shadows, slipping from one dark patch to the next. The lanterns in the Sun Chaser seemed new and bright, but most had their shutters half-closed, keeping the place dimly lit.

  I could see in the dark, thanks to my knightmare magic, so I didn’t mind. I just wondered why.

  Karna waited for me near the narrow stairs that led above deck, her radiance dispelling the gloom of the corridor. She swished back her golden hair, motioned for me to follow her, and then leapt up the stairs with the fluid speed and grace of a dancer. As I went up the steps to follow, two other women went down, each carrying rigging for the sails. They didn’t greet me or say a word, so I remained quiet as I stepped around them.

  When I emerged on deck, I had to blink back the dazzling sunlight.

  The Sun Chaser flew above the clouds, soaring between the white peaks of cumulonimbus and traveling at a faster pace than most sailing ships. The rush of air over the ship rustled everything. Without any cloud cover, the sun shone mercilessly over the deck and crew.

  I couldn’t help myself. I walked straight to the ship railing and leaned over to get a better view. The occasional wisp of cloud felt like a light misting of water. And the air—it was so crisp and fresh. Unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

  How high were we? I couldn’t see the ground, not through the thick layer of white below us.

  “Excited?” Karna asked.

  I hadn’t realized she was standing next to me until then. “It’s beautiful up here.”

  “I agree.” She tied back her blonde hair with a shimmery piece of blue ribbon. Everything fluttered elegantly in the breeze, both dramatic and striking. “Nothing beats the view from freedom.”

  “How long have you been a crew member on the Sun Chaser?” I asked.

  Karna tapped the railing, her gaze becoming distant. “Years, I suppose.”

  From what I’d heard, the Sun Chaser was home to mercenaries and mystic seekers—people who could be hired for any job, even if it were questionable in nature. That didn’t mean they were blackhearts, just people floating between the order of guild system and the lawlessness of pirates. The crew of the Sun Chaser was made up of outsiders willing to work so long as they liked the price.

  “I love it here,” Karna said with a half-smile. “I basically recruited everyone in our crew.” She pointed to a woman scrubbing the deck. “That’s Lin, one of our gunners. And the girl next to her is Hanna. She’s one of our deckhands. At some point you should meet Biyu—she’s the cutest cabin girl.”

  “Do you have a position on the ship?” I asked.

  Karna straightened her posture and touched her collarbone with one hand. “I’m the quartermaster. And in case you don’t know what that is—”

  “I know,” I said. “It’s a position directly under the captain. Some say it’s more important than the first mate, since quartermasters are typically in charge of recruitment, supplies, and training.” There were many stories of quartermasters recruiting people loyal to them and not the captain so that they could cause a mutiny.

  Karna pursed her lips. “Hm. You must like sailing.”

  “I grew up on the Isle of Ruma. I know my way around ships.” I glanced around, still squinting from the bright sunlight. “Where’s the first mate?”

  “We don’t have one.” Karna pushed away from the railing. “C’mon. Let me show you the rest of the ship, like any proper quartermaster should.” Before I could answer, she grabbed my elbow and clung close.

  I wanted to shake her away—to remind her I was still dangerous—but holding my arm wouldn’t transfer the plague, so I decided not to act like a paranoid lunatic, and I kept the comments to myself.

  Karna led me to the quarterdeck, a raised-up portion near the stern. It was a smaller deck, but with a better view, and I took a moment to stare off into the distance. The blinding white of the clouds almost hurt my eyes as much as the sun. In the distance, beyond gigantic peaks of fluff, a colossal bird burst out of the cloud line. With each powerful flap of its gargantuan wings, the bird went higher into the sky.

  “That’s the captain’s roc,” Karna said. “Her name is Mesos.”

  The roc, Mesos, had golden feathers, as though carved out of amber. Although huge, and somewhat frightening, I couldn’t help but marvel at her majesty. She had to be larger than an elephant, perhaps the size of a small whale.

  Karna pulled me across the quarterdeck, down a small set of stairs. “Over there is the galley. That’s where you get your food. And there is where the lookout sits, on the forecastle deck. Captain Devlin uses his magic to steer the vessel, so the wheel and rudder are just for show.”

  The useless parts of the ship confirmed my suspicion: this had once been a ship for sailing. They had taken it from the waters and modified it for the sky, leaving vestigial parts around the airship.

  Then Karna pulled me to a door that led below deck. Without boots, the grain of the wood felt odd on the soles of my feet. Everything seemed properly stored, cataloged, and clean, however, so I didn’t fear stepping on loose nails or splinters.

  “I can’t wait for you to meet our blacksmith,” Karna said in a singsong voice, like she was teasing me by withholding some information.

  I wasn’t in the mood to play games, so I didn’t bother asking.

  We descended a short set of stairs, escaping the winds on the deck, and entered a narrow corridor with several doors. One was labeled: Captain’s Quarters. Karna led me beyond that, all the way to the opposite end of the hall. She pointed to a door with no label.

  “This is where you and your two associates will sleep.” She smiled wide—genuine and filled with excitement. “Admit it. The Sun Chaser is ten times more wondrous and freeing than your guild back home. Think of this as an adventure.”

  I gritted my teeth, uncertain of what to say.

  The Frith Guild was everything I wanted from life. Whereas the
Sun Chaser was about making money and doing whatever they felt like to achieve it, the Frith Guild was about protecting people and places, especially from forces like pirates or the plague. Every one of my childhood heroes had served in the Frith Guild at one point or another—and if I could, I would’ve returned there in an instant.

  Sure, the airship was a pleasant distraction. The view was undeniable. But it still felt foreign and cold.

  “Everyone is always a little nervous when they come to the Sun Chaser,” Karna continued. She smoothed my shirt and undid the top button. I feared she would try to continue, but she stopped and fiddled with my collar. “But everyone comes to love it. You’ll see. You just need a good night’s rest.”

  “Why does it matter if I like it here?” I asked.

  “I want you to stay,” Karna stated, no hesitation. She met my gaze with her blue eyes, neither flinching nor backing down. “I don’t usually trust arcanists, but you’re the exception. Maybe once you spend time here—and spend time with me—you’ll realize this crew could be your home.”

  “I barely know you,” I muttered.

  I had met Karna only a few months ago. She had been a dancer at an odd club in the Moonlight District of Thronehold, but even that had been a lie. She had been looking for arcanists to trick into taking her to the castle, and I had been the unfortunate soul she’d convinced. With her doppelgänger magic, she had helped me uncover the villains lurking in the back alleys of the capital city, and I was still grateful, but that didn’t mean we were deeply or intimately connected.

  My statement seemed to bother Karna.

  She stepped away, her attention on the captain’s quarters, far down the corridor. “Perhaps we don’t know each other well now, but that’ll change. Just keep an open mind, okay? You don’t know everything about the Sun Chaser. You’re going to be pleasantly surprised.”

  Again, she spoke like she was hiding something—like she wanted me to ask her what was going on.

  But I didn’t. Exhaustion and depression stopped me from continuing the conversation.