by Kory Shen
Vimm sighed. "So you're not going to leave." He stared at my chest, as if he could see his golden key underneath, hanging from a string around my neck.
"My home's here. If we can't fight for that, what are we going to fight for?" I shrugged. "Plus, Evercrown has the prettiest girls."
Kuri made an exasperated sound.
Genna kicked the back of my leg, which I barely felt through my armor. I winked at her.
"Thanks, Vimm," I said. "I guess our next stop is the harbor."
I wasn't thrilled at the idea of dealing with ships, but it's not like we were going on a trip out to sea. We'd just be checking things out.
How bad could that be?
CHAPTER 31
"You're sure about that?" I asked the sailor by the dock. "That's the Rat's Nest?" I pointed to a large ship, big enough to be a house, anchored about two hundred yards off the Great River's shore.
The swarthy man nodded. "That's it. Been sitting out there for a day or two."
I thanked the sailor, who continued on his way down the harbor.
I turned to Genna and Kuri, who were standing to the side. "Wonderful. How are we supposed to get there?"
Genna shrugged. "We can find a small row boat, can't we?"
Maybe it was the pale moonlight, but Kuri's face looked green. "Row boat?" she squeaked.
Genna looked at Kuri, then me, putting her hands on her hips. "You've got to be kidding. Both of you? I'll swim there myself, then." She took two steps down the dock to the water's edge.
"Hold on, Genna," I said. What was happening to her? I knew she had always fantasized about getting involved in my escapades, but she wasn't trained like Kuri and me. Taking her with me last time had given her a taste for danger that I now regretted. "This isn't safe, Genna. You should head back to the Temple."
Genna stomped back to me. "Why? Because I'm fragile little Genna?"
"He's right," Kuri said gently.
"Didn't you say the Temple's mad at you?" I asked. "That scares me more than Lexley."
"I can take care of myself," Genna said, raising her chin. "I'm not afraid."
She glared at me, but I refused to back down. I had agreed to let her join me to see my father, but that had been a mistake. Things could have gone differently, and I wasn't going to risk seeing her hurt. I had gotten lucky, with my father and with Lady Dyann.
"Luck? You think that was luck?" Genna asked. "You're welcome, by the way."
"What is she talking about?" Kuri asked.
I shook my head. "I don't know. Genna, what did you do?" With everything that had happened, I had forgotten to ask about something. "When I first left the throne room, two knights were on the floor. What happened to them?"
Genna smiled but stayed silent, her green eyes twinkling.
"Spill it," I said.
Kuri nodded. "Yes, I'd like to know."
Genna pursed her lips, then sighed. "I'm still learning what I can do, but reading your mind is only part of it. I can…push people's minds a bit."
"Push?" I asked. "How?"
"Those knights," Genna said. "If someone's bored enough, I can make him sleep sometimes. I stretch his boredom, make him groggy. It's slow work, though."
Suddenly, I wasn't so sure that my victory over Lady Dyann had really been mine. Or due to luck.
"What about Lady Dyann," I asked. "What did you do?"
"Your minds were too fast and focused for me to do much," Genna said. "It's like watching two cats fight on a cliff and trying to push only one of them off. I had to wait for the right time. I gave a nudge."
"My final punch," I said. "Lady Dyann was going to block it."
"I slowed her reaction," Genna said, "and I sped up yours."
I nodded, remembering how it had felt. "Everything was slow. Like I was in a dream, even if it was only for an instant."
Kuri peered intently at Genna. "I didn't fully believe you could read minds. I thought it was a trick of your Temple." She shook her head. "Mind mages are even more reviled than fire mages, not only in my kingdom. In all kingdoms."
"For a people that celebrates magic, elves sure seem to hate a lot of mages," I said. "Fire? Then, mind? Who else is on the shit list?"
Kuri scowled. "Only death magic has a greater stigma."
I stared at her, surprised. I hadn't been serious about my question. It was obvious why mind mages would be hated. What defense was there against someone who could read or even control your thoughts? Every shame, every lie would be exposed. And new ones created.
I looked at my childhood friend again. "But the Temple. They won't let you run around like this…" She would be more valuable than an entire division of Sentinels. They wouldn't let her go so easily.
"They don't know my true strength," Genna said. After a moment, she shrugged. "And neither do I. The snakeroot dampens it, and I've hidden my strength from them."
"You kept secrets from the Temple?" I asked, nearly shouting.
"Quiet!" Kuri hissed.
"Sorry," I mumbled. We looked around the dock, but no one had noticed us.
"When my powers were new, they were still weak. I could only tell who was lying and who wasn't," Genna said. "I…I haven't told them my true strength yet."
I couldn't help grinning. "I'm impressed, Genna," I said. "But this is still too dangerous." I motioned at the Rat's Nest floating in the enormous river.
Genna folded her arms. "Well, you're a man-shaped anchor, and she's a soggy torch, so unless you have any better ideas—"
Kuri started to protest, but Mira chirped in my ear.
"I understand that you would like to reach that vessel in the water?" Mira asked.
I motioned for the others to quiet down. "Hold on, Mira's saying something. What is it, Mira?"
"I am capable of complete aquatic immersion," Mira said. "Under this planet's gravitational field, I should be able to tolerate at least three thousand yards below sea level."
"I'm not quite understanding you," I said. "You can go underwater? How does that help me get there?"
"We can walk."
I stared out at the dark waves gently jostling the lone ship in the distance.
"Walk there?" I gulped.
Genna slapped my back. "You're right. It's too dangerous for me. Good luck, swimmer."
I shot her a dirty look. "Mira," I said. "You're sure I can reach that ship?"
"Affirmative," Mira replied.
"Damn it," I said.
Kuri nodded. "I'll wait here. Good luck."
I pointed a finger at Genna. "You're a bad influence. Even without your mind powers." I paused. "Can you hear anything out there? With your…" I spun my finger in a circle in the air.
Genna rolled her eyes. "I'm not kooky. But no, it's too far away. I can't tell anything."
"Mira," I whispered as I lowered my visor. "Can you give me a close-up view? See who's there?"
The ship suddenly filled my vision. "Activating thermal view," Mira said.
The ship and its surroundings turned blue, with small reddish figures moving about on top. Like when Mira had been snooping on a bathing Kuri.
Something red and shaped like a hand smacked the front of my helmet.
"Hey!"
"Tell me about the time you were spying on Ku—" Genna started.
"Genna! Another time."
Genna mumbled something but kept quiet.
I focused on the red figures on top of the ship. "Three men on top?" Or women, I supposed.
"Yes, I am detecting three figures above the ship," Mira said. "At least four more below decks. I am afraid I cannot detect anything below the waterline." Now that Mira mentioned it, I could make out faint yellowish-green figures below the ship's surface. There were four of them.
"Any armor or weapons?"
"I am unable to verify their presence at this distance."
"Okay, Mira. Tell me what to do," I said.
"One moment," Mira replied. Something hissed in the helmet, and the inside of my ears w
ent slightly numb. "The suit is sealed and pressurized. You can jump into the water anytime."
I walked to the edge of the dock and stared at the dark rippling surface. Water was the bane of any fully armored knight, offering nothing but silent death. I took a deep breath and lowered myself so that my legs were dangling in the water.
Shit. Shit.
I let out my breath, then took another deep one. I slipped into the water.
I sank like a rock, but my feet hit the shallow water soon after my head went under. That's when I realized I couldn't see much in the murky darkness.
"Fuck, Mira!" I shouted in a panic. "I'm lost!" I had already lost track of which way pointed towards the shore and which way pointed towards the ship.
My vision shifted. A glowing blue outline of a ship appeared. A series of curved blue lines appeared on the ground, like a drawing of the sea floor.
"Use the contour map and ship's location to navigate," Mira said. "When you reach the ship, you can leap and use your fire bolt to propel yourself upward."
My breathing and heart rate slowed. "Okay. Thanks, Mira. You're the best."
I took a cautious step slowly forward. Moving in the dark waters was slow, ponderous. I took another step. Then, another.
A silver shaped fluttered in front of me. A fish?
My feet sank into the soft river bottom as I moved. It took longer than I had thought, maybe a good fifteen minutes before I was underneath the ship.
I bent low, ready to jump and send a fire bolt downward. Then, my arm clinked against something metallic. A chain. The anchor.
I stood straight, changing my mind. "This will be less noisy," I said to Mira.
"I agree," Mira said.
I took hold of the anchor's chain and hoisted myself upward, climbing hand over hand. A minute later, my head broke the surface of the water.
"Mira," I whispered. "I can't see up there. Is it clear?"
I hadn't decided if I should sneak up on board or barge in while lighting up the ship with triple shots. I didn't want to sink the ship along with any damning evidence, though. Digging through the river bottom would be a nightmare.
"One moment please," Mira said.
I waited while Mira performed whatever magic she had in mind.
"I have located three targets on the ship's deck," Mira said. A symmetrical shape appeared in the corner of my vision. It took me a moment to realize that it was a picture of the ship from above. Three red dots appeared on the map of the ship. Another blue dot appeared.
"The blue one is me?" I asked.
"Yes," Mira replied.
Two of the red dots roamed the other side of the ship. One was closer to me but not moving.
I climbed higher along the anchor chain until I reached the side of the ship. I hoisted myself over, trying to lower myself onto the deck without making any noise. I wasn't exactly a nimble mermaid, and my wet foot slipped against the railing. I caught myself before falling over, but my knee had banged against the side of the deck.
I glanced up at the map in the corner of my vision. The closest red dot was moving towards the blue dot. Shit.
"Mira!" I hissed under my breath. "Can you make me look like a…" My eyes scanned the dark deck. There were a few crates, piles of robes, some various supplies. Nothing in particular stood out. "Can you make look like that stuff?" I waved my hand vaguely across the deck.
"You wish to camouflage yourself?" Mira asked.
"Exactly." It probably wouldn't work in the daytime, but it was worth a shot at night. I shuffled over to the shadows next to a large wooden box.
"Activating environmental camouflage," Mira said.
I held still, waiting as the red dot came closer and closer to the blue dot. I had probably left watery footsteps behind, but there was little I could do about them. I hoped the darkness would be enough.
Footsteps grew louder. A man walked up to the deck's railing, stopping, then turning his head back and forth. He walked past me. I waited. He retraced his path, returning to his previous position. The red dot moved away from the blue dot on my map.
"That was close. Good job on the camouflage," I said.
"Why thank you." Mira practically purred at my praise. "What else can I do for you?" she asked.
I knew so little about what Mira could do. Some day, I would have to sit down and have a good long talk with her. For now, I had to rely on what I had already seen.
"Can you sense any metal now? Anything in the ship's hold?"
"One moment please," Mira said. This time, her response was quicker. "No, I am afraid that I do not detect similar quantities of metal within the ship. My sensors could be blocked by shielding, though."
Shielding? "Like a Mirror Shield?"
"No, I am referring to a material or construction that interferes with electromagnetic waves."
"Mira. Speak plainly. Have you come across anything like that in your time with me?"
"No, I have not."
My shoulders dropped. The missing equipment wasn't here. Vimm's hunch was wrong, which disturbed me more than not finding the missing weapons and armor.
"However, I am detecting human heat signatures below the deck," Mira said.
"Right, something like four of them?" I asked.
"More than that. I am detecting a concentrated human heat signature in the hold. I estimate approximately ten additional humans are within this ship's hold."
"The hold?" People generally didn't stay in the hold unless they were stowaways. Or prisoners.
If it didn't involve the Valorian equipment, this was none of my business. I crept out of the shadows towards the edge of the deck. I would return to the docks the same way that I had arrived.
I glanced at the red dots on my map. One of the red dots on the far side of the ship was approaching my side. I quickly returned to my hiding place.
The two red dots on my side collided, then moved together. Soon, I heard footsteps again.
"You're still camouflaging me?" I whispered to Mira.
"Affirmative."
The voices approached. "Mira, can you pump up the sound? Let me listen in?"
In response, my ear filled with a loud swooshing noise. The waters. The red dots had stepped a good distance away from me, but I could hear them speaking now with Mira's help.
"How many more nights is this going to take?" a voice asked. "Fuck, I need to visit a whorehouse."
Someone else spoke. "All those girls down below. Tied up and helpless. Drives you mad, doesn't it?" He laughed.
"You know Lexley will kill us if we touch them," the first voice said.
I inhaled sharply in surprise. Lexley? "Mira, can you make it a little louder?" I asked.
The men's voice spoke more clearly now. "Damn it. We were supposed to dump these bitches and be done," the first voice said.
The voices grew softer. The red dots moved away from the blue dot on the map.
I hesitated. I could go now. But what about the girls they had mentioned? Those had to be the ones Mira had detected in the ship's hold. It sounded like they were prisoners.
"Is the crew carrying weapons?" I asked. "Sentinel-class, like the other day?"
"Negative," Mira replied. "I am only detecting primitive weaponry."
I could capture the ship, free the people below.
But that wasn't my fight. I had to find the armor Lexley had stolen. I had to focus.
The red dots move further and further away on the map. When I was satisfied with their locations, I crept back to the side of the ship, stepping over the railing. I grabbed the anchor's chain and slipped back underwater. I held onto the chain and…
A minute later, I was back standing on the ship's deck, shaking the water off my body like a wet dog. I wouldn't let Lexley harm more innocent people, not if I could help it. I had the power to do something, and I couldn't walk away. I just couldn't.
I shouted into the darkness. "Come and get it, motherfuckers!"
I waited until three men approach
ed wielding clubs. More footsteps raced up from below decks. A man brought a torch forward.
"The fuck? Is he wearing armor?" someone asked.
A thrown knife bounced off my armor.
I grinned. Armor versus a bunch of sailors with clubs and knives? I couldn't remember the last time things had been so mismatched in my favor.
"How did he get here?"
"Send him overboard!"
"Get him!"
The men charged. I walked forward casually blocking a club with my arm. The club cracked. I seized the man with one hand and threw him, screaming, into the deep river. Something hard bounced off my helmet.
A kick here. A punch there. There was no Sentinel armor here. I hardly had to lift a finger.
Five minutes later, the deck was littered with unconscious men. More had been tossed into the Great River, and a few dim shadows were swimming towards the docks. Kuri would pick up the ones unfortunate enough to arrive there.
I headed below decks on a rickety old set of stairs. When I reached the bottom, a screaming man punched me in the chest. He howled in pain at his broken fist while I smacked him in the side of his head. He dropped to the floor with a thump.
Mira guided my path through the ship's underbelly towards the human cargo she had sensed earlier. I made my way through the cluttered mess to arrive at a giant wooden box. It would have been large enough to house a number of horses.
"The humans are inside," Mira said. The red shapes of human figures within the box briefly flashed in my vision.
I moved closer to the box. There was no obvious door or lock. "Watch out!" I shouted.
There were muffled cries. I punched through the wooden side, then used both hands to rip apart that section of the box.
Inside were a dozen women dressed in little more than the iron shackles to their arms and legs.
Some of the women screamed when they saw me. I opened my helmet.
"It's okay," I said. "I'll get you out of here."
One of the women ran forward to kick me. I stepped backwards to keep her from hurting herself.
"Hey, didn't you hear me? I'm helping you!"
A few dim candles in the hold lit up the sharp features of the woman's face. As well as the rest of her features.
