by Ben Chandler
By the time the sun had risen enough to pour some meagre light down over the lip of the ravine, the Demons had been repelled. Some had fled. Others had fallen to the defenders of Haven and the crew of the Hiryū. Most had died by Fox’s hand, by the hand of the Fox God.
As Missy approached the cluster of black-coated defenders, who had gathered around their Cunning Lady, she knew that somehow she would convince this woman to teach her. There was simply no alternative. She pushed through the people of Haven until she could see the woman. Fox was laughing so hard her head was thrown back. There wasn’t so much as a scratch or a bruise on her.
Fox caught sight of Missy out of the corner of her eye. ‘So, little girl, what did you think of your first lesson?’
Missy pushed her sense of awe aside and ignored the ring of people surrounding them. If she couldn’t convince Fox to teach her, there was no hope of defeating Ishullanu and his Demons. Missy weighed her words carefully, judging them based on what she had witnessed since meeting the woman, resisting the urge to simply take what she needed from her mind. Missy crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head to one side. ‘Not bad.’
Fox snorted. ‘“Not bad,” she says.’
Missy nodded. ‘You might just be up to the job after all. I have to admit I had my doubts.’
Fox glared at her for a moment and then started laughing again. Missy was once more reminded of the half-crazed Tien Tese doctor. ‘I do like you, girl. I tell you what. We’ll give it a go.’ Missy felt her hopes rise, but unease pierced her as Fox returned her stare. ‘Just remember your side of the bargain.’
Missy swallowed and nodded. ‘I will.’
Fox threw an arm around Missy’s shoulders ‘Ha! One way or the other, girl, the Fox always gets what it wants.’
Missy shivered. ‘I want you to let my friends go, too.’
Fox shrugged. ‘We’ll see. I have to do something about Kenji.’ She spun Missy around to present her to her followers. ‘My Brotherhood! This cub is now my pupil. Let’s go and celebrate!’
The people of Haven cheered as Missy was pulled along after their leader back towards the relative safety of Haven. She had done it. For whatever reason, Fox had agreed to teach her. Missy should have felt triumphant. Instead, a deep pit of grief had opened up within her. There was one part of her hastily constructed plan that she hadn’t allowed herself to think about, but now that it was happening there was no avoiding her dilemma. If she was going to learn from the High Priestess of the Fox God, she was going to have to leave the Hiryū and her brother.
The people of Haven were celebrating. The crew of the Hiryū had retreated to their airship, leaving the inhabitants to their festivities. Lenis supposed today had been a good day for them. They had repelled a major Demonic assault and suffered only minor losses. For Lenis and the rest of the crew, there was little to rejoice in. The galley had been converted into a hospital ward, where the tables became beds. Kanu and Lenis were put to work helping the doctor. Suiteki, finally freed from Lenis’s protective grasp, was coiled in her nest by Hiroshi’s stove. Even so, Lenis was always aware of her reaching out to him, both seeking and offering comfort. She craved it as much as the heat coming from the stove, but more and more she was aware of what Lenis needed. He felt her shielding her hunger from him, as if the baby dragon knew he had more pressing concerns and didn’t want to pester him. Lenis let his tears fall.
The crew was in pretty bad shape. Arthur had broken several ribs. Shujinko had a large hole in his side, which the doctor was worried would soon become infected if it wasn’t already. Demon scratches were nasty at the best of times, but to be gored by one … It was a miracle he hadn’t punctured any of his organs. Even so, Long Liu insisted the cabin boy remain on bed rest to ensure he escaped serious infection. Tenjin had broken the same ankle he had sprained back on Heimat Isle. Shin, Hiroshi, Captain Shishi, and Princess Anastasis were swathed in bandages. They, too, were in danger of infection but only from lesser cuts.
Andrea was a different matter. Lenis had been there when the doctor had cleaned the wounds on her face. It had not been a pleasant experience, but Lenis had smothered his revulsion and forced himself to help. There was little he could do other than hand Long Liu clean swabs and pass the soiled ones on to Kanu for the Titan child to dispose of. Andrea remained comatose throughout. Lenis wasn’t sure if the doctor had somehow kept her asleep using his medical skills, or if she were still under the effect of Lenis’s empathic enforcement of calm. Either way, it was a mercy she didn’t wake up. When the doctor was finished, she still looked a fright. Long Liu had stitched up several gashes on her face, including one that ran from under her nose down through her lips. She had lost one earlobe and chipped a couple of teeth. When Lenis asked about her eyes, the doctor shook his head and asked Lenis to hold Andrea up while he bandaged her face, placing a heavy wad of cloth over each eye.
Missy was nowhere to be seen, but Lenis didn’t have time to wonder where she could be. Long Liu kept him busy caring for the others. At least he could take comfort knowing that Yami was with her wherever she was. The Shinzōn swordsman hadn’t returned to the Hiryū since the battle. Lenis hoped he was still keeping an eye on Kenji. The Hiryū’s navigator had remained with his companions in the Brotherhood of the Fox. Lenis didn’t mind if he never saw him again.
Eventually, Lenis had to sit down. His legs were all wobbly and thinking of Kenji brought on a peculiar draining sadness. The man had been a member of the crew. If not a friend, he had at least been a comrade, someone Lenis had come to count on in the crew’s quest to unlock Suiteki’s power and, ultimately, defeat Ishullanu. When had he come to rely on them all so explicitly? Their journey was difficult enough without having to worry about their allies as well as all of those arrayed against them. Suiteki left her nest and coiled herself up in Lenis’s lap. He absently scratched her under the chin, and a ripple ran through Suiteki’s scales from head to tail tip.
‘You look troubled.’ It was the captain. He came to sit next to Lenis on the bottom step of the stairway leading up to the fore hatch. In one hand he carried a bowl, which he offered to Lenis. The other was pressed to his side, mute evidence of his own injuries.
Lenis simply nodded and took the bowl. The smell of broth rose out of it, but he had no appetite. He cradled it in his lap within the loops of Suiteki’s body, enjoying the heat that soaked from it into his hands. The little dragon was also pleased by this and twisted her head around to lap at the thin soup. Lenis hadn’t realised how cold they both were until he felt the warmth radiate inside her belly. Winter seemed to be clinging to the mountains of Heiligland far longer than it ought to.
‘I do not know where to begin.’ The captain’s admission took Lenis by surprise. He’d never known the man to show doubt before. He didn’t even bother to whisper, and the rest of the crew were right there in front of them. ‘It seems that every time we turn around, we face a new danger, a new obstacle. We no sooner deal with one than another two take its place.’
Lenis nodded again. It appeared Kenji’s betrayal had hit the captain hard too, and that had been followed so quickly by their defeat at the hands of the Demons. No wonder the man was distressed. ‘It does seem like that sometimes,’ Lenis mumbled.
‘Already I fear that Karasu has beaten us to Kolga’s temple.’
‘There’s really only one thing we can do,’ Lenis noted, trying to put some strength into his words.
The captain turned to him, one eyebrow cocked. ‘And what is that, Mister Clemens?’
‘Our best.’
The captain smiled. A moment later he laughed. ‘You are quite correct.’ He stood up and addressed the rest of the crew, who were still gathered in the galley. ‘I understand that we have all suffered today, and that we are injured and exhausted, but we must continue in our pursuit of the stones of ebb and flow. The Demons have withdrawn for the time being, and the people of Haven are busy with their merriment. We must take this opportunity to push on to K
olga’s temple. Miss Shin, please work with Mister Clemens and Mister Hiroshi to ready the landcraft.’
‘Is this wise, Captain?’ Lenis could hear the fatigue in Shin’s voice. ‘None of us is in any condition to make such a journey.’
The captain chuckled and glanced at Lenis. ‘What wisdom forbids, Miss Shin, necessity dictates. We must make haste while the Demons are still in disarray and before the Cunning Lady decides she will take Mister Jackson up on his offer.’
‘Yes, sir,’ Shin replied, though her voice lacked conviction. She nodded to Lenis and Hiroshi. As Hiroshi followed Shin above decks, Lenis tried to place Suiteki back in her nest, but she gripped fast to his robes and, rather than tearing them, he just sighed and allowed her to slither into their folds. He had to admit he was grateful for the warmth she shed when he was up on deck.
Lenis stumbled through the next half hour in an almost trance-like state. He was beyond tired. His entire body was in pain and his muscles ached as he tried to force them to keep going. His eyes were full of grit. It took an enormous amount of effort to keep from constantly yawning. Hiroshi and Shin were, if anything, in worse shape. They didn’t seem as lethargic as Lenis, but their injuries, however minor, still slowed them down. He could tell from the way the cook limped that he was favouring his left leg, and Shin couldn’t lift one arm above her head. Still, together they were able to set the winch and manoeuvre the landcraft over the side. There was barely enough room for it on the ravine floor, but soon they were ready to go.
Lenis went down to the engine room to fetch the Bestia. They were in quite a state. Although they had remained safe on board the Hiryū throughout the battle, Lenis could tell they had been almost frantic with fear and concern. Their relief at seeing him safely return flooded over him when he entered the engine room. The sensations were so comforting they lulled him dangerously close to sleep. Ignis jumped all over him. Aeris and Atrum both wound themselves around his feet. Atrum’s tail nearly tripped him up as he crouched down to pat and embrace his Bestia. Their presence drew Suiteki out of Lenis’s robe, and the baby dragon scrabbled down into their hutch, squawking away as though regaling the Bestia with a recounting of her adventures.
Terra was huddled in the far corner of the Bestia hutch, with his nose hidden under his tail. The most sensitive of Lenis’s Bestia, he had coped the worst during the Demon attack. Lenis reached down and scooped him up, holding him close against his chest and rocking backwards and forwards as the earth Bestia pushed his nose into Lenis’s neck. Guilt washed through him as Lenis thought about what he was going to ask of the Bestia now. He looked down at all of them and wondered, not for the first time, how he could place them all in such danger.
Aeris stood up on her hind legs and placed her forelegs on his thigh. He reached down to run a hand between her ears, drawing her understanding up and wrapping it around himself.
Lenis hugged Terra even tighter. ‘Come on, boy. It’s time to go.’ He looked down. ‘You too, Atrum. Let’s get this over with as quickly and quietly as we can.’
The other Bestia stood in the doorway, barring Suiteki from the exit while Lenis, Atrum, and Terra climbed the stairs to the deck. Hearing the baby Totem’s protests, Lenis wanted nothing more than to go back down to his bunk, pull all of his charges around him, and sleep. But that would have to wait.
‘Have you seen your sister?’ Shin asked as Lenis emerged on deck.
Lenis shook his head. ‘I think she’s still with Yami and Ken–’ He stopped short.
The corners of Shin’s mouth turned down, the harsh lines carved into her face by a lifetime sailing the infected oceans were set, turning her countenance into a horrible mask. ‘Someone has to keep an eye on that traitor in case he tries anything else.’
Lenis nodded and fell into step behind her. Shin’s presence had a way of putting Lenis at ease ever since their encounter in Neti’s temple. Hiroshi, the captain, and Kanu were waiting for them by the landcraft.
‘We must make haste,’ the captain reiterated as they all mounted.
Lenis placed Terra in the engine block and climbed up into the pilot’s seat. Atrum jumped up into his lap and, a moment later, Lenis felt the Bestia’s power spreading around them, wrapping them in his cloak of invisibility. The engines rumbled to life and Lenis steered them down the airdock towards the far end of the ravine.
There were Demonic bodies everywhere, too numerous to count even if Lenis had wanted to. The Cunning Lady had done her work well, protecting her Haven with the power of a shintai. A part of Lenis was grateful, but another part was not. If she had acted sooner, no one would have been hurt. Andrea would not have lost her sight.
Despite the fact that the Demon force had been routed, Lenis kept his senses alert for their presence. For one thing, the Demon Lord, Etana, had not been defeated. Perhaps the Fox Lady had scared him off, or maybe he was simply waiting for them to leave the safety of Haven. Either way, Lenis was vigilant. Atrum’s cloak should protect them, but it was possible a Demon Lord like Etana was powerful enough to pierce such a veil.
Reflexively, the crew pulled their scarves up over their mouths and noses as they drove through the cleft in the rock face that marked the entrance to Haven and left its bubble of protection behind. Lenis’s scarf had been a gift from Namei. Thinking about her brought a fresh wave of grief, and he was reminded of the sense of her he had felt up on the forecastle before his fight with Shujinko. He longed to try to form that connection again but so far had not had the opportunity. Once they were done here and underway, he would try again. For now, as the sickly sweet stench of the Wastelands tickled the back of his throat and the familiar greenish mist rose up to swallow them, Lenis had to focus on driving once more into the Wastelands.
Missy sat on the step below Fox’s divan with her elbow on her knee and her chin resting on her palm. She longed to return to the Hiryū, to find out how the others fared, but Missy feared leaving the woman’s side in case she reneged on their agreement. Missy couldn’t risk that. Not now.
Missy was also afraid that seeing her brother would make her change her own mind. The enormity of it could not be confronted head on. Things hadn’t really been right with them since their experience with Kanu on the jetty of Fronge, and now she was going to leave him. There was no way to know if she would ever see him again. Once the Hiryū left, Missy would be stuck in Haven with the Fox Lady. If the Hiryū left. Who knew what Fox would decide to do with them? With the amount of power she could wield, Fox could do whatever she wanted.
And then there was the problem of Kenji Jackson. What would Fox do with him, to him, and how would that affect the Hiryū? The navigator was now lounging against one wall of the temple, being ignored by everyone except Yami, who maintained his guard.
‘Brighten up, cub,’ Fox said as she bent down to mess up Missy’s hair. ‘This is supposed to be a party.’
Missy did her best to put a smile on her face but worried it looked more like a grimace. She turned to Fox. ‘I’m fine.’
The corners of Fox’s mouth turned down. ‘No. You’re not.’ Missy opened her mouth to object but Fox cut her off. ‘They don’t call me the Cunning Lady for nothing, you know. I tell you what. If you relax a little, I’ll agree to let your friends go when they get back from the Wastelands.’
Missy surged to her feet. ‘The Wastelands!’
Fox shrugged. ‘Of course. Isn’t that why you came here? Now try to enjoy yourself, just a little. Okay?
Lenis tried to shake the feeling that they were lost. The captain seemed confident he remembered the way to Kolga’s temple, but Lenis wasn’t sure he trusted him on that. It was easy to lose your way in the Wastelands, even more so when those Wastelands were in the mountains. After leaving Haven, Lenis had been forced to steer the landcraft along a narrow rocky ledge between a towering mountain and a vast roiling world of greenish mist. The edge of the shelf on which they drove was all too evident, but beyond that there could be anything – a drop into an even deeper go
rge, the roots of another mountain, or even an inland sea. Whatever was there was shrouded in the vapours of the Wastelands.
After about an hour of driving, however, the ledge broadened out into a plateau. This was even more disturbing, as the world around them became flat and empty. The mountain wall they had been following disappeared as the fog encircled the landcraft. There were no trees, no outcrops of stone, no features at all. Suddenly locating Kolga’s temple was the least of Lenis’s fears. Without any landmarks and surrounded by mist, he was starting to worry that they were never going to be able to find their way back to Haven.
‘Try to keep us moving straight ahead, Mister Clemens,’ the captain said, his words muffled by his scarf and the oppressive air.
Lenis did try. He was exhausted, his eyes were so dry it hurt to keep them open, and his hands were stiff and sore from clutching the steering shaft and his earlier encounter with the Quillblade, but he persevered. At any moment, they would reach Kolga’s temple, and then … Lenis didn’t know what would happen. Either they’d find one of the stones of ebb and flow, or they would discover Karasu had already beaten them to it. He didn’t want to consider that maybe there was no stone out here at all, that it lay hidden in some other temple in some other country where Apsilla was known by some other name. Or worse, that someone else besides Karasu had already found the stone and taken it. In Seisui’s temple, in Shinzō, they had found engravings that led them to Asheim in Ost. If an adventurer or an explorer had been to Kolga’s temple before them and taken the treasure the Hiryū’s crew were seeking, there was no guarantee that they had left behind similar clues.
