The Way of Ancient Power

by Ben Wolf

  Where Kanarah City’s streets had seemed almost overcrowded to Calum, Sharkville’s population either preferred to remain indoors or just didn’t exist in the first place. No children played in the alleys. No merchants peddled goods from carts. No soldiers stood guard at the street corners. No one at all was outside, and none of the buildings had windows of any sort.

  A weatherworn sign that hung from one of the buildings bore an image of a fish caught in a net with the word “Fishig” next to it.

  “Wait here.” Magnus clasped his hand on the wooden doorknob. “I will go inside and try to find out what I can.”

  Moments later, the door under the Fishig sign swung open again and smacked against the wooden wall.

  Magnus stood in the doorway, beckoning them forward. “Come inside.”

  The inside of the building amounted to one room with a bookshelf, a bed, and a fat bearded man seated at a table. A big double-edged battle-axe leaned against the table leg on the man’s right side, and he puffed on a pipe in his left hand.

  The smoky-sweet smell of the tobacco reminded Calum of his father, who had also smoked a pipe long ago. How he’d remembered that so many years later, Calum did not know.

  “Gill, here, is in charge of the docks,” Magnus said. “He is willing to allow us to charter a vessel.”

  A man in a fishing town in charge of chartered vessels named Gill. What are the odds? Calum grinned.

  Gill motioned to the chair on the opposite side of the table from where he sat.

  Calum turned back to Magnus, who nodded. Behind him, Axel stood next to Lilly, closer than Calum would’ve liked, but in the small space, he supposed it was unavoidable.

  Calum sat in the chair and faced Gill, who pulled a scrap of paper from his lap and flattened it out on the table.

  He picked up a quill from the desk and dabbed it into the inkwell. “How long you gon’ be fishin’?”

  “Uh—” Calum looked back at Magnus, who held up three long fingers. “Three days?”

  “Weeks,” Magnus said. “Three weeks.”

  “That long?” Calum’s eyebrows rose.

  Gill chuckled and scribbled on his paper. “That’s nothin’. Mos’ our charters las’ six months or longer.”

  “Oh.” Calum faced him. “Well, three weeks, then.”

  “Heard you the firs’ time, kid.” Gill’s voice flattened but he kept scribbling. “How many crew members you bringin’ along?”

  “Four, including me.”

  “Bait?”

  Calum blinked. “What?”

  “You bring yo’ own bait, or you nee’ some?”

  “Uh—” Calum looked back at Magnus again.

  “We need some,” Magnus said. “Enough for a week. We’ll make do after that.”

  Gill nodded then scribbled some more. “Got yo’ own nets ’n lines?”

  “No.” Calum shook his head.

  More scribbling, then Gill blew a puff of smoke from his pipe above Calum’s head. “You all nev’ done this befo’, have you?”

  “No.”

  “You wan’ fishin’ lessons too? Or a guide?”

  Calum opened his mouth to speak, but Magnus beat him to it.

  “No, but thank you.”

  Gill stared at him, then his quill danced some more. Then he set the quill down and spun the paper around to Calum. “What you think?”

  There, before Calum, lay a drawing of some sort of bird—at least from what he could tell, anyway. He hadn’t been sure what to expect, but a lousy piece of artwork wasn’t on the list. “Very nice.”

  Gill laughed. It sounded like he’d swallowed a bird and its bones had lodged somewhere between his throat and his chest. “It’s terrible, an’ we bo’ know it.”

  Calum raised his eyebrows, filled with uncertainty. “Alright…?”

  “You got yo’seff a boat, kid, but I nee’ somethin’ to kee’ fo’ collateral ’n somethin’ to pay fo’ the charter isseff.”

  That might be a problem. “We don’t have anyth—”

  Magnus dropped a leather pouch on the table. “This should cover both.”

  Before Calum could respond, Gill snatched the pouch from the table and dumped out its contents. When shimmering gemstones in a variety of colors spilled across the table. Calum’s jaw clenched. Magnus must’ve collected some of the stones from Nicolai’s body after the Gronyx killed him back in the tunnel.

  Gill extended his hand. “Deal.”

  Calum stared at the gems and sighed. He hadn’t known Nicolai for long, but using his remains this way soured his stomach.

  Calum exhaled a long breath and shook Gill’s hand. “Deal.”

  Gill smiled, then he stood up and grabbed his battle-axe by the handle. “Follow me. I’ll show you to yo’ floater.”

  As Gill walked out the back door behind his desk, Calum stood and nudged Magnus. “Where’d you get those?”

  “You know where I got them.”

  “You sure we should be using Nicolai’s crystalized remains to pay for this?”

  “He gave his life to save you in that tunnel. He would have wanted this, too.” Magnus placed a hand on Calum’s shoulder. “Besides, there is no other way.”

  Calum clenched his teeth, but nodded.

  “Hey.” Axel waved at them from the back door and pointed to the sign above his head. “Come on. I want to go ‘fishig.’”

  Lilly smacked his shoulder. “Don’t be so obnoxious.”

  Outside, Gill’s jovial persona reverted back to the solemn presence he’d displayed when Calum first sat down at his table. His eyes searched the skies and scanned the shoreline, and his knuckles whitened as he gripped his battle-axe.

  Sure enough, Gill led them to the only ship—boat—docked there. The words Baroness of Destiny adorned the ship’s hull. “She all yo’s for three wee’s. Bait’s arready isside, same’s the nets ’n lines ’n other s’pplies. Have fun.”

  Gill glanced over the lake again then started back toward the town with his sack of gems in one hand, his battle-axe in the other, and his pipe in his mouth.

  “Dumbest name for a ship I’ve ever heard,” Axel said once Gill was out of sight.

  “And how many ships did you encounter in your years on your family farm?” Magnus asked.

  Axel scowled at him. “It’s still a dumb name.”

  The boat could certainly accommodate four people, but from its appearance, Calum didn’t know how it managed to stay afloat. Black patches the size of human skulls dotted its gray hull, and a network of dark cracks worked from the ship’s bow down to the water line. A mast, twenty feet tall with a patchwork sail, towered from the center of the boat.

  Despite the boat’s small size, the hull seemed thick enough that there could’ve been a small cabin inside. The main deck looked as if a whirlwind had tossed a bunch of barrels, ropes, and tools around.

  Not that Calum knew anything about sailing or fishing or what most of that stuff was supposed to be used for, but still… Burtis never would’ve allowed the quarry’s toolshed to get this messy. Not in a thousand years.

  Calum knelt down for a closer look at the burgundy-brown marks that stretched across almost the entire deck. “What are these streaks?”

  Magnus growled. “Blood.”

  Chapter Four

  “What?” Calum straightened up. “Whose blood is it?”

  “I have a bad feeling about this.” Magnus shook his head. “Perhaps we should not take this boat out after all.”

  “Really?” Axel raised his hands and slapped the sides of his hips with a huff. “You dragged us all the way out here, and now you don’t even want to go fishing?”

  “I think you mean ‘fishig,’ Axel,” Lilly interjected with a smirk. Then she winked at Calum, who matched her with a sly grin of his own.

  “Funny,” Axel said, still frowning. “But I’m serious. Are we doing this or not?”

  “Where do you think all this blood came from, Axel?” Magnus asked. “Something attacked the
ship and probably killed the crew. You saw the dire condition of the hull.”

  “Then how did Gill end up with the ship?” Axel jammed his fists into his hips.

  “Perhaps some of them made it back, but some of them obviously did not.” Magnus kicked a rope aside, revealing the largest dark red spot on the deck they’d found thus far. “This is a lot of blood.”

  “How do you know they didn’t kill whatever attacked them? Maybe that’s where the blood came from. Maybe they cleaned the fish they caught and that’s where the blood came from.”

  “Then where are they?” Calum asked.

  “I don’t know.” Axel shrugged. “Probably already left for Kanarah City, or they crossed to the other side to sell their catches.”

  “Or they are dead.” Magnus stared at Axel, who set his jaw.

  “Either way, we’re low on food, and we’re already here,” Lilly said. “Many of the fish in this lake are considered delicacies in Aeropolis, and the fact that the ship made it back at all, regardless of whatever happened, is a good sign. I think we should go.”

  “I’m with Lilly.” Axel folded his arms.

  Magnus looked at Calum. “It is your decision to make.”

  Calum met each of their eyes. He didn’t love that he had to make the call, but ever since Magnus had declared him leader of their group, it had fallen to him.

  In any case, the reality of the situation was sobering: either they risked starvation while trying to cross the rest of the way to Western Kanarah, or they risked starvation while trying to catch fish out on the lake.

  At least with the latter option, they would be doing something to try to change their fates.

  “I don’t think we have a choice at this point,” Calum said. “We need to risk it. We’re going fishing.”

  High above the ship, Lilly hovered on watch, her eyes scanning the endless waters both for schools of fish and any signs of trouble. Thus far, the waters and the skies had remained calm and clear except for a few patches of clouds. On the whole, it made for a sunny and pleasant autumn day.

  Below her, Calum, Axel, and Magnus lowered the ship’s nets over the side of the Baroness of Destiny, which now floated several miles out from the shore.

  Within two hours, they managed to haul in a couple dozen fish, and Lilly dropped down for a landing. When Magnus showed them how to clean the fish with a knife, the foul stench of fish guts hit Lilly’s nose.

  “Now the only thing we gotta do is cook these before we eat ’em.” Axel scanned the ship’s deck. “But I don’t know where we can safely set a fire aboard the ship.”

  Magnus smirked and stuffed a whole fish the size of a man’s forearm into his mouth—scales, bones, head, and all. The sight of it shocked Lilly, but only for a moment. After all, he was just behaving like a Saurian.

  Axel wrinkled his nose. “Unless you’re a giant lizard, apparently.”

  “Let me see your knife,” Lilly said.

  “Huh?” Axel looked at her. “Why?”

  “You don’t have to cook the fish to eat it.”

  Calum glanced at Axel and then at Lilly. “How do you figure?”

  “We eat it raw all the time in Aeropolis. You just have to prepare it the right way.” Lilly reached toward Axel. “May I use your knife, please?”

  Axel handed it to her, and she filleted one of the larger fish and delicately separated the scales from its flesh.

  When she finished, she held the glistening orange filet in her bare hand. Not as good as a professional cook might’ve done, but not bad, either. “Who wants it?”

  “How about you eat it first?” Axel motioned to her with his head.

  Magnus chomped into another fish, this one still writhing in his hand. A second bite and it disappeared down his throat.

  Lilly shrugged and bit off a sizable bite of the filet. It didn’t taste quite as good as when the chefs prepared it for her back home, but it filled her belly all the same. “See? It’s good. A little squishy and weird the first time you try it, but otherwise it’s good.”

  Calum extended his hand. “I’ll try it.”

  “Give me half, will you?” Axel held his hand out too, and Calum handed him his portion.

  They both popped the fish into their mouths and chewed, then swallowed. Lilly grinned as their faces twisted with disgust, but they gradually softened to guarded curiosity.

  She glanced between the two of them. “What do you think?”

  “Not bad,” Calum replied.

  Axel swallowed his bite and stuck out his tongue. “I think I’m gonna figure out how to cook it before I eat any more.”

  Lilly chuckled and nodded. “It’s not for everyone. Usually, you’re supposed to eat it with some other ingredients too, and they can really improve the taste.”

  “That I believe,” Axel said.

  “I’m heading back up to scout some more,” Lilly said. “Axel, if you figure out how to cook the fish on board, signal me.”

  He nodded. “Will do. Calum can keep cleaning the fish while I handle that.”

  “What?” Calum tilted his head. “That’s not fair.”

  Magnus devoured another fish whole.

  Axel shook his head. “And you can just keep eating them raw, I guess.”

  “Gladly.” Magnus smiled and patted his armored belly.

  Lilly gave Calum another look. Their eyes met, and drops of molten excitement dripped into her gut. She had to look away.

  She sprang into the air, contemplating how and why Calum made her feel that way as the wind rippled through her cape.

  They’d been friends ever since they’d helped her escape the slave traders. After that, as she’d gotten to know him, she’d formed a bond with him—closer than she’d have expected in such a short time, but nothing sky-shattering.

  Still, she couldn’t deny the feelings that soared through her body when their eyes met for too long. She’d come to love his blue eyes; they reminded her of the sky, a place where she felt totally free.

  Perhaps that was the answer behind it all: when she was around Calum, she felt truly free.

  Within seconds, she ascended fifty feet above the ship’s mast. Down below, Axel and Calum continued arguing who would try to cook the fish and who would clean them. She shook her head at them with a smile.

  In truth, they were both great guys. Axel was definitely the more outspoken and confident of the two, but Calum—well, there was just something about him. Something different. Something—

  A dark form broke the golden horizon to the north of the ship. Lilly squinted at it, but it was too far away to see. Even so, she could tell it had to be large, given how big it seemed even from such a distance.

  She swooped down in a wide arc and landed on the deck just behind Axel. He jumped and whirled around to face her.

  “What’d you sneak up on me for?” He glowered at her.

  Lilly didn’t bother apologizing. “There’s something on the horizon to the north.”

  Magnus, Calum, and Axel redirected their attention toward what she’d seen.

  “I don’t see anything,” Calum said.

  Axel shielded the sunlight from his eyes with his left hand and leaned over the edge of the boat. “I don’t see anything.”

  “It’s there,” Lilly said. “I saw it from the air, but I couldn’t make out what it was.”

  “I see it. It is quite far away,” Magnus said. “But I have better vision than humans do.”

  Calum turned to her. “Can you get a closer look at it?”

  “Of course.” Lilly jumped up to the railing that lined the edge of the boat, leaped into the air, and zipped into the sky toward the form. Almost three minutes later, the form sharpened into the shape of a ship, a mammoth compared to the Baroness of Destiny.

  It had black sails.

  Lilly cursed under her breath, then she repeated it aloud.

  She pivoted in midair and swooped back toward their boat faster than she’d left. By submitting to gravity’s pull, she p
icked up incredible speed as she approached the water’s surface. Just before she would have impacted the water, she pulled up and shot toward the boat like one of her arrows screaming through the air.

  She made it back in less than a minute thanks to her fancy flying. The soles of her boots touched down on the boat’s deck between Axel and Calum.

  “What is it?” Magnus asked.

  “Pirates. We need to get out of here now.”

  Axel and Calum looked at each other, then Calum squinted at her. “Pirates?”

  Lilly tilted her head and her mouth hung open.

  “They are identical to bandits, only they live on water and have ships,” Magnus explained. “The difference is that they have an incredible advantage on the water. This is their home, and we are but strangers. Lilly is right. We need to get out of here.”

  “Hey, if they’re bandits, I say we take ’em on. Sounds like fun. Fishing’s kinda boring anyway.” Axel glanced between the three of them, then centered on Magnus. “Plus, we’ve got you as a Sobek now. What have we got to lose?”

  Lilly stared at him. Someday, Axel’s confidence was going to get him in trouble. Part of Lilly hoped she’d be there to see it, and another part of her really hoped she wouldn’t.

  “Our lives.” Magnus leveled his gaze at Axel. “You cannot go through this world fighting everyone you dislike.”

  “I guess we see things differently, Scales.” Axel folded his arms.

  “Furthermore, we lack the sailing ability and know-how to fend them off,” Magnus continued. “My comprehension of water-based combat is nominal at best. If they sink this ship while we are still on it, we stand no chance of surviving, especially in these waters.”

  “We’re also probably outnumbered, as usual,” Calum added.

  Axel shook his head. “I still say we should fight.”

  “And I say we leave. Head back to shore.” Calum started toward the mast. “Which of these ropes does what again?”

  Magnus’s voice hardened. “Calum is right. We have enough trouble as it is without having to deal with pirates, too.”

  Axel sighed. “Fine. I’ll get on the wheel.”

  Lilly heard their conversation, but her eyes had focused on the approaching ship. “Hurry. They’re getting closer.”