Triumph Over Tragedy: an anthology for the victims of Hurricane Sandy

by R. T. Kaelin

  The winged warrior cocked her head to one side. “Can you not hear it?” she asked through gritted teeth.

  Ali pushed past the siren and the half-ogre and exited the cabin door. His eyes darted from stern to stem, but he saw no immediate peril. Around them, the Azure Sea lay quiet and calm. The captain saw no sign of a rogue wave—or anything that might have caused the ship’s sudden lurch.

  He turned back to his siren master-at-arms. “What was it you heard?” he asked.

  Sarifa caught her breath and rose. She fanned her wings out slightly to steady herself. “A high-pitched wailing hiss combined with a very low rumbling,” she said, “as if the ocean itself were screaming. Very intense—but it has passed.”

  On deck, the rest of the Starcutter’s crew wobbled to their feet. The sailors looked around warily, and a murmur of concern sprang up among them.

  “Anyone hurt?” Ali called. “Sing out!”

  The crew grumbled that they were all right.

  Ali swung his eyes to the lookout atop the main mast. “What about you, Toshi?” he called.

  The teenager clinging to the rigging called back, “Shipshape, Captain!”

  “What happened?” Ali asked. “Did you see anything?”

  “A queer shadow of some kind, Captain,” the teenager replied. “It raced under the boat and away before I could even sing out.”

  “If not a wave, a rogue swell, then?” Ali asked.

  “Maybe, Captain. I’m not sure. It was like nothing I’ve seen before.” Toshi swung around the mast, shielded her eyes from the noonday sun, and peered into the distance.

  “Can you see it still?” Sarifa asked.

  “Aye,” Toshi replied. “The shadow’s still there, but it’s a long way off and moving fast away from us.”

  Sarifa turned to Ali. “Perhaps I could see more from higher up, Captain,” she suggested. Ali nodded. The siren unfurled her shimmering flame-colored wings and shot into the sky.

  Princess Makachiko gasped as the siren took flight.

  Kor’s low chuckle echoed over the deck. “Still takes my breath away, too,” he said.

  “What do you think she’ll find?” Makachiko asked.

  “Allah willing, she’ll find a rogue wave,” Ali replied, “and nothing more.”

  Sarifa soared high into the air, quickly becoming just a speck against the cerulean sky. She circled amid the clouds for several minutes, and then dropped back down to the ship.

  As her black-sandaled feet touched the recently-swabbed deck, she frowned.

  “What’s wrong?” Ali asked.

  “I’m not sure,” the siren replied. “The sea seems to have…risen up. A shadowy ring of water expands outward for miles in every direction.”

  “Not a rogue wave?” Ali asked.

  She shook her head. “Not like any wave I’ve seen before. Your idea of a swell seemed more likely. It’s fantastically large, though.”

  Kor spat over the rail. “Magic!” he growled.

  “Maybe,” Ali said. “Or maybe not. Sarifa, is this ring of water moving toward the Starcutter?”

  “No, Captain,” Sarifa replied. “It has already passed well beyond our position.”

  Ali stroked his beard and nodded. “The ship lurched as the swell passed under us.”

  “It would seem,” Sarifa agreed.

  “But what magic could do that?” the princess asked. “Are we in danger?”

  Ali shook his head. “No way to tell,” he replied. “Not yet.”

  “But you must have some idea what caused it,” Makachiko pressed.

  “I’ve got an idea, Captain,” Kor blurted. “It’s the girl’s medallion! That magical wave hit us just after she touched it. The trinket’s cursed! We should cast it overboard.”

  “No!” the princess cried, clutching the necklace protectively to her breast. “It’s mine. It belongs to my people.”

  Ali cast a stern glance at Kor. “Don’t worry, Princess,” Ali said. “I don’t share Kor’s superstitious nature. No one will take the medallion from you.”

  The princess looked very relieved.

  Kor frowned and grumbled. “I suppose the reward said that she had to be returned in one piece?”

  “Aye,” Ali replied with a chuckle. “It did.”

  Kor dar-Bek crossed his huge arms over his barrel-like chest. “Well, we’d best get our pretty bit of baggage home, then.”

  “Set course for Sunrii,” Ali commanded.

  “Aye, Captain,” Kor said. He climbed the short flight of stairs to the bridge. The pilot of the watch stepped quickly out of his way, and the half-ogre seized the ship’s wheel in his huge hands.

  “Thank you, Captain,” Makachiko said.

  Ali nodded at her.

  “Er, Captain,” Kor rumbled, “what if—during the course of our sailing—we should catch up to that magic…whatever it may be?”

  “Toshi will keep lookout,” Ali said.

  “What about me, Captain?” Sarifa asked.

  “Help Doran with the injured,” Ali told the siren. “Your skills at battlefield medicine will come in handy, I’d imagine. Let Doran concentrate his Il-Siha training on Tifek and the gravely wounded.”

  Sarifa nodded.

  “Get the Coralshell sisters to help out as well,” Ali continued. “They can field dress a wound as well as anyone aboard.”

  Kor chuckled and shook his head appreciatively. “Those Coralshell sisters have more luck than a bag full of cats,” he declared. “Even dressed like they are, I don’t think either one of them got even a scratch during the whole battle!”

  “Their Sisterhood pirate training serves them well,” Sarifa noted.

  “Put them to work,” Ali commanded. “I want the whole crew back on its feet as quickly as possible.”

  “Do you anticipate further trouble?” the siren asked.

  “No sense taking chances,” Ali replied.

  The siren warrior dipped her wingtips to him. “Aye, Captain.”

  “Captain,” Princess Makachiko said, “what should I do?”

  Ali al Shahar glanced from the girl’s face to the dragon pendant hanging around her neck. “Return to your quarters,” he said. “And if you know any prayers, you might say one for Tifek.”

  * *** *

  The Starcutter steered a straight course toward the isles of Sunrii. The Azure Sea rose in gentle swells around them, slapping the ship’s red and blue sides with a steady, reassuring rhythm. Watching from the top mast, Toshi saw no further sign of the strange wave. After tending the crew’s superficial injuries, Sarifa took flight again and patrolled the nearby waters.

  Only minor tribes and petty kingdoms occupied the islands between the Starcutter and her intended destination. Most of the isles along the route were tiny and insignificant. With the Purple Tern Brigands in disarray behind them, Ali hoped for clear sailing all the way to the princess’ home.

  As the hours slipped past, the Starcutter’s crew saw no sign of brigands, nor of any other people sailing upon the placid deep.

  Toward evening, a puzzled frown drew across the captain’s tanned face. He shielded his eyes and scanned the horizon. “Where are the fishers?” he asked, more to himself than anyone else. “Where are the tradesmen?”

  Kor, still at his side, manning the wheel, looked at the captain and shrugged.

  “Sarifa,” Ali called. “Fly a patrol to the northeast. There’s an islet a couple of leagues distant from our position. In the past, pirates have used that isle for a base.”

  “You think some sons-of-buccaneers might be plotting to ambush us?” Kor asked. The half-ogre’s poison green eyes flashed yellow at the prospect of another fight. Like Sarifa, he never tired of battle.

  The Starcutter’s captain shook his head. “I don’t know,” he replied. “Something doesn’t feel right. It’s odd that we haven’t seen any other ships—or a few fishing boats at least.”

  “Pirates might account for that,” Sarifa agreed. “I will report back shor
tly.” A few quick beats of her shimmering red wings lifted her into the air.

  The captain prowled the quarterdeck, awaiting her return. As Ali paced, Makachiko peeked out of the ship’s central hatch. When the captain spotted her, the princess climbed boldly onto the main deck.

  “What have you been up to?” Ali asked. “I thought you were resting in your berth.”

  “I’ve been helping tend Tifek,” she replied imperiously.

  The captain looked puzzled, so she continued. “I’m not heartless, Captain. I don’t want anyone to die on my account, but I must put the good of my people ahead of the needs of others. Surely you understand.”

  “So, how is Tifek?” he asked.

  The princess’ voice softened. “His condition remains grave. One of those Coralshell girls—I’m not sure which one, they both look alike to me—is tending him while Doran gets some rest.”

  Ali smiled. “If anything can lift an ailing man’s heart,” he said, “it’s the Coralshell sisters.”

  Makachiko frowned. “Their manner of dress is…different than that of my people,” she said. “Their jewelry barely covers their modesty.”

  “They sailed with the Sisterhood before I ‘rescued’ them,” Ali told her. “Wearing jewelry as clothing is their tradition, just as wearing silks is yours.”

  The princess’ face turned pink. “Well, despite their immodesty,” she said, “they seem quite effective as warriors, sailors, and medics.”

  “They’re the best I have,” Ali said. “You could probably learn a thing or two from them—if you’re interested.” He smiled at her. “Thanks for helping out, Princess. I’m sure your presence lifted Tifek’s heart as well. Allah willing, it will be enough to see him through.” He bowed courteously.

  She dipped her lovely head just slightly. “It is the least I could do, Captain. He was injured effecting my rescue, after all. Your crew did save my life.”

  Ali mounted the steps to the bridge. “That’s true,” he called back to her, “and we expect to be well paid for it.”

  The princess followed him the stairs to the wheel. “Aye,” she agreed. “Still, you did not take advantage of situations that you could have. And for that, I am grateful.” She absent-mindedly fondled the dragon-shaped necklace at her throat.

  The shimmering jewels caught Ali’s attention, but he merely said, “Aye,” and took the wheel from Kor.

  An hour and a half later, Sarifa returned to the ship. She touched down lightly on the aftercastle, near Ali, who still manned the wheel.

  “Well?” he asked.

  “I saw nothing, Captain,” she replied. She looked slightly concerned and cocked her head in a very bird-like manner.

  “No pirates?” the princess asked hopefully. She sat cross-legged on the deck nearby, between Ali and the rail.

  “No, your highness,” Sarifa said. “Nothing at all. No pirates, no fishers, hardly even a sea bird.”

  “What?” Ali said, mirroring the siren’s concern.

  Kor was leaning on the stern rail, dragging a stout fishing line in the ship’s wake. “It’s that magic, Captain,” the half-ogre suggested. “I ain’t had a bite in all this time, either. And that ain’t right in these waters.”

  Ali nodded. “Sarifa, I’m sending you back,” he said. “Stop at one of the isle’s small settlements and see if you can find out what’s going on.”

  “But captain,” the siren woman said calmly, “there are no settlements.”

  For a moment, only the creaking of the Starcutter’s rigging and the soft hiss of the surf filled the warm sea air.

  “But that’s impossible,” Ali finally said. “I’ve sailed these waters many times. There’s hardly an outcrop of reef in this part of the ocean that doesn’t have a handful of people trying to scratch a living out of it.”

  “Nevertheless,” Sarifa said, “I saw no such settlements.”

  “What about the other isles?”

  “Nothing. On any of them.”

  Ali’s voice assumed the tones of command. “What’s the course and distance of the nearest islet?” he said.

  “A league away, fifteen points off the port bow,” the siren warrior replied.

  The captain nodded and spun the wheel.

  “But, Captain,” Makachiko protested, “that’s not the way to Sunrii.”

  “It’s not far out of the way, either,” Ali replied. “We’ll get you home as soon as we can, Princess. Since there was no telling how long your rescue might take, we’re not bound to any schedule. Your royal parents will never notice the difference, I promise you. Something strange is going on, and I want to see what it is with my own eyes.”

  “What about the magic, Captain?” Kor put in.

  Ali gazed seriously at Sarifa. “Did you sense any magic?” he asked.

  She shook her feathery head. “No, Captain. None.”

  “Advise the crew of our course change,” he told her. “Tell them it’s probably nothing to worry about, but…”

  “You don’t believe that, Captain,” the princess said. “If you weren’t worried, you wouldn’t be changing course.” Her voice remained firm, but her fingers fumbled nervously in the folds of her silken dress.

  Ali politely ignored her. “And send the Coralshell sisters up here. Just in case.”

  Sarifa nodded and went below deck.

  “What about me, Captain?” Makachiko asked.

  “Go to your cabin and stay there,” he replied. “Watch from your porthole if you like, but don’t come on deck unless I tell you it’s okay.”

  The princess nodded and quickly retired to her cabin under the forecastle.

  Moments later the Coralshell sisters appeared through the hatch amidships. The jewelry of their sparse clothing glittered against their tanned skin. Their hair glistened like spun gold in the fading sunlight; their sea-green eyes flashed with mischief. Each girl carried a saw-toothed sword in one hand and a finely-honed boat pike in the other.

  With them came Doran, the ship’s healer. He looked grubby and tired, but a smile creased his handsome young face.

  “Tifek…?” Ali asked.

  “He’ll pull through,” Doran said, beaming.

  Ali nodded. “Well done.”

  “I’d be considered a miracle worker in some circles, if I do say so myself,” Doran added with a grin.

  “Though not among actual miracle workers,” Rina Coralshell put in. She laughed and her younger sister, Lia, laughed as well.

  “Is there trouble, Captain?” Lia asked. She gave her sword a quick twirl to limber up her muscles. The thought of combat brought a smile to her pretty face and her sister’s as well.

  “I hope not,” Ali said. “We’ll know soon enough. Stay on your toes as we draw closer to the isle.” He turned and called to Toshi atop the mast. “What do you see?”

  “The island looks deserted, Captain,” the girl called back. “We’re heading straight for her.”

  Ali and the others peered into the twilit haze. A small, rocky islet loomed out of the encroaching darkness.

  Doran squinted to try and make out details. “I can’t see a bloody thing,” he said.

  “Me neither,” agreed Rina.

  “Pipe down,” Kor rumbled. “You want every wizard in the whole World Sea to know exactly where we are?”

  “With all that superstition filling your head, Kor,” Lia said, “I’m amazed you have any room left over for courage.”

  “I’m just cautious,” the half-ogre countered. “Something you and your rattle-brained sister should learn!” His eyes flashed yellow with annoyance.

  “Lectures on caution from a half-ogre!” Rina gasped. “Next thing you know, basilisks will be teaching table-manners!”

  “Quiet!” Ali commanded.

  All of them fell silent.

  After a few moments, Doran asked. “Do you hear something, Captain?”

  Ali shook his head. “That’s the problem. I don’t hear anything. I’ve been to this isle before. There used
to be a fishing village on that shore ahead. It was a small village, but full of life.”

  “And now it’s just…gone?” Doran said, skeptical. “How is that possible? We’re leagues from the Wild Seas. Islands don’t just disappear in this part of the Azure Sea.”

  “Not without powerful magic, anyway,” Kor noted.

  “But it’s not the island that’s gone,” Rina said.

  “Just the people,” Lia added.

  “No,” Ali said, peering into the growing darkness. “It’s not just the people, it’s the whole town.” He turned to Kor. “Take the wheel. I’m going forward.”

  The half-ogre did as Ali commanded, and the Starcutter’s captain sprinted from the bridge to the bow of the ship. He grabbed the bowsprit and leaned forward as far as he could, peering further into the gathering darkness.

  “Toshi, see anything?” he asked, calling up to the lookout post.

  “Nothing, Captain,” Toshi replied. “No sign of life.”

  As the sun finally sank into the sea, the Starcutter drew within shouting distance of the rocky isle. By then, most of the crew stood armed and ready at the ship’s rail, watching. Kor manned the helm as Ali kept lookout with the rest.

  “You’re sure there were people here?” Doran asked.

  “Aye,” Ali replied quietly.

  “Well, there aren’t any here, now.”

  “Aye.”

  “It doesn’t make sense,” said Lia. “If pirates took them, there’d be wreckage. The Purple Terns always make a mess of things, and even the Black Cliff pirates aren’t that effective.”

  “Aye,” her sister agreed. “It’s almost as though something terrible scoured the island clean.”

  “It’s that accursed magic,” Kor said. “We should leave.”

  “I agree, Captain,” Sarifa said. “No sense tempting the fates.”

  “Men make their own fates,” Ali replied. “But, in this instance…we sail on.” He took the wheel from Kor and steered the Starcutter eastward, around the island.

  Princess Makachiko appeared at the bottom of the stairs leading to the bridge. “I felt the ship turning,” she said. “What’s happened? What have you found?”