by Allan Joyal
There was a strange hum filling the room as the mist expanded. At first it was shapeless, but it slowly began to look like a person. The glow from it formed into two eyes that scanned the walls of the tower.
"How long?" a breathless voice asked. "How long since…"
"What is it?" Panalope asked as she ran over and grabbed my shoulders. She tried to hide behind me as the eyes looked at Ushcail.
The eyes moved in the mist until they were looking at me. They seemed to stare at the box lid I still held in my hands. "You opened my box?"
"If that is what it was," I said. "We were looking for information that might help us."
"Information… yes…." The breathless voice said. "I can always trade information. Tell me how long and I'll help you find what you were looking for."
"You haven't said what period you are asking about. It makes it hard to determine what you are asking," I complained.
"He could be asking about a distance too," Culax pointed out. "And since we arrived by ship it would be unlikely we'd even know where the other point is that this thing wants us to measure."
The mist seemed to glance at Culax and then dismiss him. "How long since I died? How long has the box sat there?"
"Now I'm sure we can't give you an accurate answer. We are not from around here. Also based on the dust we've found, this tower has sat empty for years," I replied. "Unless you can give us more information it will be impossible to help you."
"I was the wizard Theolonias," the mist replied. "When it was clear that the war was going to destroy the empire I used a spell to put part of my spirit into the box."
"Destroy the empire?" Culax said incredulously. "But the empire vanished almost two thousand years ago."
"Two?" the mist form asked. The eyes stared at Culax. My fellow crewman backed away from the misty form as it continued to float silently. "No, it feels correct and explains why I cannot feel my body. It has been too long."
"I'm sorry," I said. "Did you hope you could return to your body?"
"I hid it and my creations should have ensured that no other wizard came and disturbed it," the spirit said. "I had hoped that my apprentice would survive and return to the tower once the fighting ended."
"I don't really know what happened. We are from the islands to the east," I began.
"The lava lands and the windswept rock archipelago to the south of there?" the spirit asked abruptly.
"Is that what they were called when the empire still existed?" Ushcail asked. "We still call the islands to the north the Lava Lands, but none of the others have names."
"The Lava Lands had valuable gems and ores. The purity of the metal was much higher than what we could mine here, or we'd have to pay the dwarves and they drove a hard bargain for every wagonload they delivered," the spirit said.
"That explains why there are mines," I said. "But every ship returned to the empire when the war started. We've been without any means of communicating with the empire since that time."
"Why didn't you use magic?" the spirit asked condescendingly.
"Who would have cast it? Even today we have no wizards living in the islands," I said testily.
"The empire has never been without magic," the spirit replied.
"And from what little you've already said, the islands were an afterthought to the empire. We barely manage to feed the people living on the islands. And I'm not sure they do much mining now," I replied.
"They don't," Ushcail said. "There are small stockpiles that some of the Seres will purchase up and then contract with smiths in the Lava Lands to make weapons, but not many people use metal. The only smiths are all based in the Lava Lands and they are expensive to hire."
"And even if we could, there is little that could be used to trade for the metal," I said. "The more I hear, the more I realize just how desperate things are back home."
"Is it still home?" Panalope asked.
"I don't know," I admitted as Panalope clung to me. "But we do have to return."
"Why?" Culax asked.
"We left Marrisey back there. He is the only one who truly knows how he built Gypsy. If we want to be able to repair it we might want to have him nearby. Also one of the Seres might decide to force him to make another ship," I said.
"There isn't enough wood," Culax said with a laugh.
"Are you sure?" I asked. "I've heard that many of the Seres have kept stockpiles carefully preserved. It is possible they could build a ship or two from that if they needed."
"Without plans?" Culax asked.
"I expect that Sere Komptan has sketches he can try to interpret," I said carefully.
"How?" Culax asked.
"A certain tavern wench on his island definitely copied a few of the draft blueprints," I said.
"Kara?" Panalope asked.
"Yes," I said. "Jezibel saw her copying one of the drawings I had one day."
"But you were so friendly with her," Panalope said sadly.
"I didn't want to risk her figuring out that I had caught on to her game. Sere Komptan has been getting more and more aggressive towards the few free-holders on the island. There was a risk that he'd imprison me if I showed any awareness that Kara was his spy," I replied.
"Did Marrisey know?" Ushcail asked.
"He knew that there was a spy, but I'm not sure he knew who it was. I didn't even tell my best friend. Kara was too desperate and I feared what she might do," I said.
"Wow," Panalope said. "Are you sure it will be safe to return?"
"No," Ushcail said. "It won't be. We should do it anyways. The ores we can collect from the Lava Lands will be valuable. I'd expect Ron and his friends to be quite willing to trade with us for them."
"So we'd become merchants?" Culax asked. He sounded upset by the idea.
"Nothing wrong with that," Ushcail said. "I expect we'll find that trade will prove to be the best way to turn our town into something stable."
"Our town?" Culax asked.
"The harbor we visited a couple of days ago," Ushcail said. "We'll return to that dock where we met Ron and his friends after we leave here. We'll have to probably offer a couple of shiploads of ore, but I think we can take on enough food to not only trade for ore, but to allow us to bring an extra eight or so people across. If we can do that a couple of times we'll be able to found a decent village."
"Can we bring my sister?" I asked.
"We should try to bring any family members," Ushcail said. "Otherwise the Seres will try to hold them hostage to force us to turn over our ships."
"I don't have a family," Culax said scornfully.
"You did," Ushcail said sadly. "I knew your father. He was a good man and a fair sailor. Sadly, he risked everything on a voyage north of the Lava Lands and the ship never returned."
"People have tried that?" I asked.
"Many times," Ushcail said. "There are tales of great islands covered with thick forests of trees. With wood being so valuable many captains talk about the potential riches. However, the waters are filled with creatures that attack any ship they discover. Only the lucky survive such a trip."
"And you've managed several?" Panalope asked. She sounded both playful and sarcastic.
Ushcail laughed. "You've met my wife. Do you really believe she'd allow me to venture into waters that dangerous?"
Culax frowned. I held up a hand before he could speak. "Let's not argue about that here. The spirit from the box told us what we need to know and what we already suspected. The empire tore itself apart in the same war that caused our home to be abandoned. Ron and his friends might be the only humans near the coast."
"So?" Culax continued.
"Trade," Ushcail said. "I would be willing to bet there are some things they can't get right now. I can see a couple already. That wizard talked about some of the gems and ores from the Lava Lands. Ron did say they knew some dwarves, so I'm sure they'd look at the opportunity to obtain the ore."
"Why? Ron didn't say any of his people could work metal," C
ulax asked.
Panalope smacked the back of Culax's head. "Idiot! The wizard made it clear that dwarves liked the ores. We trade them to Ron for grain and he can trade it to the dwarves for finished metal items. Everyone benefits."
"Which was the whole idea behind building Gypsy," I said. "So it seems we have a plan now. Return to that riverbank and meet with Ron and his friends so we can get food for the return trip and then return to the islands to collect our friends."
"I like the idea," Panalope said. "But what about attempts to take the ship from us? Its not like we have a huge crew."
"We'll have to move fast," Ushcail said. "And while we are in the Lava Lands we'll never dock. I'll have Gypsy drop me off and then return later to collect the goods. That should allow us to keep moving."
"They could take you hostage," I said worriedly.
"If they do, I'll signal for Gypsy to sail on," Ushcail said. "But I doubt they will try. We'll be able to offer them food in trade. Food is too valuable to risk losing."
"How do you know that they won't try for both the ship and the food?" I asked.
Ushcail laughed. "The men who run the mines there are not going to risk losing the food. The men in the mines don't know how to run a galley and I really doubt any man will claim he can operate Gypsy."
"We managed," Panalope said.
"Culax, Lucis and Hadlor are all experienced in operating sails on galleys. Even with that and with Jessop's steady hand on the tiller it took us a few days to figure out how to operate the strange sails," Ushcail said to Panalope. "Now, let's get back to the Gypsy. We have a long sail to return to the riverbank."
"How do we get out of here?" Culax asked.
I set the now empty box down and looked around. "I guess there is nothing here we can really take," I said.
"I can't think of anything that has value," Panalope said. "A wizard might find some of the books useful if they can still be read."
"I'm not sure they'd survive if we took them onto Gypsy. It's dry in here. I remember the monks at Bishop Point discussing the problems with keeping the old scrolls intact. They said that paper that has been dry for a long time can crumble if it gets wet," I said.
"No one is going to try to cross the sand," Culax said confidently.
"If they do, I hope they have some protection against those shark things," I said. "But I have an idea on how to get out of here."
"How?" Panalope asked.
"There is a magical device. I used it to create the energy wall that allowed you to come here. We can activate it again and leave," I said as I walked over to the glowing button. The glow was extremely dim and I looked out the doorway. "However, the power may be low. We should probably run once I activate it."
Ushcail moved to the doorway and looked out. "The sharks appear to have backed off. But the one that died trying to catch Kaven has been reduced to bones."
"Maybe none are hungry after they finished off the dead one," I muttered. "Are you ready?"
"If this fails, I'm going to make sure they catch you," Culax muttered back.
I reached up and carefully pressed the glowing crystal. "I've activated the magic," I called out.
"We can see," Panalope said in a sarcastic tone. "And you'll be last out the door. Run!"
The others all dashed through the doorway. I raced after them heading for the stone causeway and our ship.
Chapter 23: Uncomfortable Conversations
The strange sand sharks did not appear as we rushed across the sand. I could see the air to the left and right of us shimmer as we ran to the causeway.
Culax was the first of our group to put his feet on the stone of the causeway. He did not look back as Ushcail and Panalope followed him onto the stone.
Ushcail immediately turned to look back. I was several steps behind him. The captain's eyes widened as he looked past me.
"Jump!" he shouted.
I dove for the stone of the causeway. Behind me the shimmering wall of air vanished. The sand erupted as a sand shark threw its body into the air in a great lunge. It missed my legs as grains of sand showered over Panalope and Ushcail.
I slid across the rough stone of the causeway. The rough stone ripped at my arms and legs as sand rained down on me. I tried to roll to my feet, but ended up only rising to one knee.
Panalope ran over to me. "Are you hurt?" she asked me as she put a hand under my right shoulder and helped me to my feet.
"It didn't get me. Thanks for the warning, Ushcail," I said quietly. "I guess the barrier came down."
"Very abruptly," Panalope said in agreement with me. "And that sand shark would have got you if you had not jumped. I thought it got you at first."
"Just buried me in sand," I said. I staggered a bit as Panalope dropped my arm. She was backing away from the edge of the sand.
"Kaven, one of the sharks seems to be trying to swim over the stone," she said worriedly.
"Let's move," Ushcail said firmly. "Culax is already at Gypsy and probably trying to convince Jessop to set sail."
"You don't seem to trust him," I said as I began to walk unsteadily down the causeway.
"He's a coward," Ushcail said. "But he knows how to handle sails. When I first tried to find a crew he was one of the better choices."
"What if he serves the Seres?" Panalope asked worriedly.
"Hadlor and Lucis won't allow him to take over," Ushcail said confidently. "At worst he'll tell one of the Seres what he knows about the design of the ship. It is a risk, but with you and Kaven showing that you can handle the sails, we don't need him."
"So if he does something we abandon him?" I asked.
"That was my thought," Ushcail said. "But for now we should get a permanent trading agreement with Ron and his people. Can I trust you to do that?"
"Me?" I asked.
"They seem to have a connection to you through that young woman Shaylin," Ushcail said as we made our way down the causeway.
"Mostly because she had the ability to make it so we could talk. Without that we would have been reduced to pointing and grunting, but that's what Kaven used to do at home with his sister, so perhaps it would have worked out," Panalope said. She moved over so her left hip ran into my side and pushed me towards the edge of the causeway.
"Hey!" I shouted as I staggered away from her. "There are hungry sharks in the water. I'd rather not fall in."
"Captain," Jessop shouted. "Culax has said you found something."
"There was a map of the coastline," Ushcail said. "It provided a clearer picture of where we'd have to turn to the East if we want to return to the islands by the fastest route. If I'm right we could reach that location after sailing north for a day."
"That would be useful," Jessop said. "Culax also had some tale of sharks that swim through sand. Hadlor and Lucis are still laughing about that."
"Not a tale," I replied. "The ruin appears to have been the home of a wizard of some skill. The wizard created the sharks as a way of protecting the tower. He included a way to safely walk to and from the tower, but it appears the power for that is gone."
"So what do we do?" Jessop said. "Culax is saying we should make directly for Isla Magestica. He suggested we should leave before you three reached the ship."
Ushcail just shook his head. "I'll talk about it while we sail south. We need to return to the river where we met Ron and his friends. They are going to meet us with some food and provisions."
"We'll cast off as soon as you are aboard Captain," Jessop said.
“Get the stern rope Kaven,” Ushcail told me. “Jessop once we leave the pier head out into the ocean until we can barely see the land before turning southward.”
“South?” Jessop asked.
“How strong is the current?” Ushcail asked.
“Powerful,” Jessop responded with a nod. “And you obviously are worried about how long it might take to return to the river where we met the others. Wise, plus if we do get back early we can investigate that ruined village.”
> “What?” Culax shouted. “You want us to all go ashore?”
“Why not?” Panalope asked as she jumped aboard Gypsy. “There is a nice safe harbor we can dock in and after talking to Ron and his friends we know that it should be perfectly safe there.”
“Not perfectly,” I said. “It sounded like the person who set the fire there is one of their best scouts. But they did say that they had driven the orcs away. And long term it might be a perfect place to call home.”
“Home?” Panalope asked.
I untied the rope from the ring anchored in the pier. Gypsy started to drift out to sea as I jumped onto the deck.
“Do you expect that we’ll be able to return to the islands? For more than a trading visit?” I asked.
Panalope walked to the port railing and leaned on it as Gypsy began to move forward. I watched her stare at the horizon.
“Kaven! We need another hand to get the main sail raised. Come grab a halyard!” Hadlor shouted.
I broke off watching Panalope and rushed forward, ducking under the boom. Lucis and Hadlor had prepared the mainsail, and were starting to haul on the lines that would pull it up the mast. I joined in with them as Gypsy glided over the ocean, leaving the wizard’s tower behind us.
Ushcail finished tying off some ropes holding up the foresail and then grabbed a rope and headed towards the stern. I pressed up against the railing as he walked past me.
Lucis grabbed me once Ushcail was past. “You should talk to your lady.”
I looked over at Panalope. She was staring out at the horizon. “She’s not mine,” I said in quiet protest.
“She wants to be,” Lucis said. “And I get a feeling she won’t look to another man as long as you live.”
“I think I scared her with the talk that we can’t go home,” I said.
“Captain?” we heard Hadlor shout.
I turned to look at the stern. Ushcail was standing against the port railing and carefully coiling up a rope. The end of the rope was floating in the ocean.
