by Rosie Scott
“It was relatively easy for Nyx to leave,” I commented. “She never had to escape, technically. She left Quellden on an assassination contract and just never came back. And if it weren't for my intervening, she would have died by Sirius's request. That's probably why the women are so rare above ground. Very few of them fail their mission and live.”
Conversation slowed as we were served our lunch. We were starving for something other than the dried foods of the trip, so we ate like we hadn't seen food in weeks. At this point, it felt like that was true.
“What's the plan?” Anto finally asked, in the midst of chewing a mouthful of pork. The varied menu here made it apparent that livestock was raised on the island, even though fish was still the most popular protein.
“Hire a boat,” I replied, wiggling my eyebrows as if to say it should be obvious.
The orc chuckled. “Yes, but how can we even tell which of the men and women among us are captains?”
“There was a board near the open bar outside,” Jakan commented, motioning toward the doorway. “I didn't get a good look at it, but I'm pretty sure that's where you'd go to look for available mercenaries.”
“That's what we'll do, then,” I said. “Besides, I'm not in that great of a hurry. I think we need to stay here for a day or two just to keep our sanity before we get stuck on another boat. The ride to Eteri will not be as short as the trip here from Nahara.”
“Many ships here are much larger than the schooner,” Anto pointed out.
“Yes, but the larger the boat, the more people a mercenary is likely to accept onto it for the trip,” I replied, lowering my voice a bit. “And given our trip here might as well have been announced to Al Nazir, I'd like to travel with as few people as possible.”
“Ah,” Anto mused, nodding.
“You really think we're being followed?” Jakan questioned, leaning forward over the table.
“Let me put it this way: I have no reason to believe that, given it was just us and five crew members on the way here, but Chairel would have to be stupid not to send someone to Nahara.” I waved my hand in the air, and said, “We've been through this before...regardless, we just need to be careful. That's all.”
Within the next hour, Nyx and her beau of the day re-emerged from the basement, both of them looking quite pleased with themselves. The man followed Nyx over to our table, his hands shoved in two pockets of his trousers. I took note of the rings that glinted copper from the tops of six of his fingers, just above the fabric. It was possible the man simply liked jewelry. As a mage, however, I knew that copper was extremely conductive. And to have six rings? Perhaps this Alderi was more than just a sailor.
The man stared at me as he came to a stop beside our table. He had an air of confidence to him that I found appealing, considering he was a male from a race which enslaved them. Nyx motioned for me to stand, so I did.
“This is Kai Sera,” she announced, before turning to him.
“Nyx,” I hissed, at the mention of my true name. Of course, she hadn't been here for the talk about being careful.
“What?” She asked, perplexed, before she visibly paled. “Uggh, gods. There I go again. Sorry.”
“Is that name supposed to mean something?” The man asked, his red eyes switching between my friend and I.
I watched him carefully for a moment, judging him for honesty. “No,” I replied, finally. “Not to you.”
The man nodded softly, coming to an understanding. “Ah. I make it a habit not to ask. It's not important.” He held out his right hand. “I am Calder Cerberius. Captain of the Galleon Stallion.”
“Ooh,” I said, with a slow nod as I took his hand. I found his ship's name telling. “You are just like Nyx, aren't you?”
Nyx smirked at me. “He's a man after my own heart.”
“Among other things.” Calder grinned at me. He was incessantly charming. “Your friend here has said you need to hire a ship to take you to Eteri?”
I knew Nyx only meant well, but all of this talking in public about our plans was worrying me. Before I had a chance to say anything more, a human woman at the next table over turned, her eyes immediately on Calder.
“Oh! Please tell me you're going to Eteri. I've been searching for a mercenary to take me there for nearly a week, and they all claim it is too far.”
Calder smiled over at her. “If you have the gold, I have the room.”
“You said the Galleon Stallion, correct? That big ship on the northern end of the harbor, with the red sails?”
“Yep,” he replied. “No matter where I'll be going, I stay in my captain's quarters there, and I'll be in the harbor for a few days yet. You can come down at any time and we'll set up a contract.”
“That sounds great. Thank you so much.” She smiled apologetically at me. “I'm sorry for interrupting. I've been so desperate.”
“Oh, you're fine,” I replied, despite my hesitations. I glanced back over to find Calder waiting for my reply. “Calder...” I twisted my lips to the side as I trailed off. “May we go to your captain's quarters now to write up our own contract?”
His red eyes widened a bit. “I have convinced you already?”
“Maybe, maybe not. I simply think business decisions are best made in solitude.”
“I respect that.” His eyes scanned over my companions. “You can all follow me, if you'd like.”
We were ready to leave with Calder right away, given we had all finished eating some time ago and had paid our tabs. He led us into the white island sands and through a patch of trees and bushes, taking a shortcut to the far end of the harbor.
“Is this your first time in Killick?” He questioned, walking sideways for a moment for our answer.
“Yes,” Cerin answered him, shortly.
“Ah. Well, I hope you like it here. It's full of a variety of interesting people. Even so,” he added, nodding back toward our group, “I have to say, I've yet to see a group as diverse as yours. It's like all the countries of the world had an orgy and out popped a litter of kids.”
I chuckled at the unexpected humor. “You have us figured out,” I mused.
Calder lifted one lengthy blue arm, pointing at a large galleon which floated a few spaces down on the harbor, just as we finally walked onto the dock. “This is my ship. Five hundred tons of sexy goodness.” The ship was essentially twice the size of the schooner we had taken here. It was double the length, much wider, and towering above its dark wooden decks were four masts with a multitude of dark red sails. As far as I could tell, the flags were plain.
The ship had multiple decks, and round, tubular weapons of metal aligned the sides through tiny windows below deck. I pointed at them and asked the elf, “What are those?”
“War cannons, love!” Calder replied, quite happy that I'd asked. “A technological marvel of the dwarves.”
I eyed him from the side as we began to walk along the pier beside his ship. “You trade with the dwarves?”
“No, not really.”
I noted his vague answer. “How did you get the ship?”
“I stole it,” he replied matter-of-factly, before leading us up the ramp to the deck. The Galleon Stallion was much taller than the schooner, though that meant the ramp was heavier and didn't move as much as we boarded.
“If you stole the ship, you will have problems passing Narangar,” I commented, once we were aboard.
Calder turned to face me. “I didn't steal the ship from the dwarves. I stole it from pirates, who stole the ship from the dwarves. And anyway, I have taken voyages to Eteri before. The only thing that would cause them to raise an eyebrow are the cannons, and I never go into Narangar's harbor. It isn't a problem.”
Just then, the creak of a door called our attention to farther down the deck, where another male Alderi came out of an above deck cabin, in the midst of eating a small, yellow tropical fruit. Unlike Calder, he was dressed in armor, and his eyes were completely black. He waved at us, his eyes lingering on Nyx. “Hail,”
he offered, in greeting.
We all offered our own. Calder threw a thumb in the other man's direction. “Friends, this is Koby, my navigator, quartermaster, and my best friend. We've been sailing together for awhile.”
“Sixty-two years,” Koby replied.
“I've spent so long looking for Alderi men,” Nyx murmured. “And here I am, blessed with two in a day.”
“A tamed female?” Koby inquired, curious. It was the second time I'd heard the term. Given the way it was used, I figured it simply described escaped Alderi.
“Yes, and one in constant search of tamed males,” Nyx replied.
“Happy to oblige,” Koby said, looking pleased. He glanced toward his best friend. “Make them a deal,” he pleaded.
Calder chuckled. “Trust me, this one has already used her wiles to get me to cut my costs.”
I glanced to Nyx. She only grinned. Oh, how I loved her.
“Come,” Calder said, motioning with his hand. “Let's make a deal.” We followed him to the cabin his friend had walked out of minutes before. Koby moved to the side, letting us pass.
The cabin that opened up around us was a startling mixture of contrasts. On one hand, it was richly decorated with furniture of gold and maroon, and had all manner of treasures and trinkets sitting upon tables and shelves, giving off the aura of wealth. On the other hand, the cabin was a mess. Maps were strewn in every direction, and one was torn and lying on a rich woven rug in a corner of the floor. A tray of green herbs sat upon the desk, with a stack of rolling papers. Eight different chests aligned the walls, each one of them open with an abundance of what appeared to be clothing. On the wall behind the captain's desk was a pegboard full of random notes, contracts, and even more maps. On top of them all, as if of the utmost importance, was a crude drawing of an Alderi woman who clearly had a distaste for clothing.
It made sense that this was once a dwarven ship that had ended up in the hands of a mercenary from an entirely different race and mindset, because the room was an absolute clusterfuck.
“Excuse the mess,” Calder apologized, hurrying behind the captain's desk. His bluish-gray hands pushed through papers, shoving some to the floor, searching for something.
“Is that legal?” I questioned, pointing toward the herbs on his desk.
He shrugged. “I mean, it's not illegal.”
I smirked. I wasn't sure how someone could dodge questions and still be charming.
“Ferris, if I'm correct,” Jakan spoke up from a few feet away from me.
Calder glanced up, before he smiled. “That it is. Of course, you are from Eteri, not far from where it grows.”
“I was born there, yes, but I lived most my life in Nahara,” Jakan explained. “Ferris would come through sometimes, and it would fetch a high price. I dealt in it, for a time.”
“Jakan, the friendly neighborhood drug dealer,” Cerin teased.
Jakan chuckled. “It was during my thieving days. Ferris isn't bad. It can't kill you like rempka can. If anything, it just makes you happy.”
“Oh, it makes me very happy,” Calder agreed enthusiastically.
“Do you deal in it as well?” I asked him, curious.
“No. I often visit the wildlands, where it grows.”
I frowned. “You do? I've been told the wildlands are a place of no civilization. Other than some small pockets of beastmen.”
“Then you've been lied to, friend. The wildlands are very much alive. It's a harsh, swampy land, but people will live where they must.” Calder peered up at me. “Most people are judgmental against the beastmen, because they are seen as wild and primitive. It is of little wonder that few wander outside of the wildlands. I believe Chairel even has the practice banned.”
“The practice?” I questioned, noting his wording. “How do you ban a race?” If Chairel had banned the beastmen, I'd heard nothing of it before.
“You don't, because the beastmen are not a race at all. They are nothing but shapeshifters, and shapeshifting is simply a challenging alteration spell. Shapeshifting is banned in Chairel.” He lifted his dark eyebrows as he continued to sort through his mess. “As are many other things.”
I took all of this in with a fascination. I knew shapeshifting was banned in my home country, but I'd simply never connected it to being a type of magic. I knew little of alteration magic, much like I'd known little of the illusion school before meeting Jakan. “You know a lot about the beastmen,” I finally stated.
“Yes,” he agreed. “Because they helped me and Koby get on our feet after our escape from the underground. I've met them. I know how it works more than most.” He glanced down toward a scroll held within a hand, as if he'd finally found what he was looking for. “Now, let's talk business.”
“First things first,” I interrupted, and Calder met my gaze. “What would it take for you to take us to Eteri alone?”
The Alderi tilted his head in confusion. “By myself? It takes more than just me to operate a ship of this size.”
“No, I meant taking us there as your only passengers.”
Calder pursed his lips in thought. “That's asking quite a bit. If you're looking to get to Eteri as quickly as possible, we'll want to sail for the port of Scirocco. The Galleon Stallion travels at about eight knots, but considering weather and stops...” he looked over the map near his left hand. “This trip will take me nearly a moon. To take just five people when I could be taking dozens...” he trailed off, and glanced back up to me. “That's a dilemma.”
“What would it take for you to do it?” I asked him.
He laughed dryly. “A lot of gold, or a lot of benefit.”
“What would be a benefit to you?”
“An endless supply of men, because my men drop like flies on voyages like this,” he mused, peering off to the side as he thought. “Supplies. Gold. Trade. Valuables.” He glanced at my rings. “Something.”
“I am a dual caster,” I told him, which was only partially a lie. “I wield water and life, both of which will be of use to you on the sea, especially if your crew gets sick.”
Calder's eyes widened a bit. He hadn't expected that. “Well, tickle me pink. You have my attention.”
“I am a healer as well,” Cerin added.
“Proof of your claims?” Calder asked, to which we both summoned spells. The Alderi nodded, impressed.
“I can make weapons and armor,” Anto offered. “If you have supplies on your ship, I will do all work for free.” He nodded toward me. “I made her armor.” He pointed toward Jakan's belt, where both of his weapons hung. “I made his scimitar and crossbow.”
“I do not have a forge on my ship,” Calder pointed out.
“We can make a few stops along the shores of the wildlands, or he can even make you something while we're here, preemptively,” I offered.
“You aren't in a rush?” The captain asked.
“We do need to get there as quickly as possible, but I will make sacrifices to do so if I have to,” I replied.
Nyx raised a hand. “I offer you and your crew sex.”
“That's not an offer if you'd do it anyway,” I said, though I was amused.
Calder was silent a moment. “This seems to be obvious to me just by the look of you all, but I'm assuming you can fight?”
I nodded. “All of us are well trained in battle. Do you anticipate trouble?”
Calder rolled his eyes. “There is always some trouble on the seas. If you all can fight, that saves me money on hiring more crew. If I can limit my expenses, the lower profit won't be as painful.”
“You never said how much you were asking in gold,” Cerin stated.
“Usually, I'd charge fifty a head to go to Eteri, but that's assuming I have nearly a full ship. Considering Nyx's generous offer, I was prepared to charge forty a head for you all. Now, with all this in mind...” he trailed off, and stared at the written contract beneath him. “Four hundred and fifty a head.”
I thought about that. With my coliseum winnings
from Nahara, we were able to afford it, but it was still a huge chunk of change, and we would have to make up for Nyx's lack of funds.
“That price is considering all the benefits we have offered to you?” I clarified.
Calder grimaced, but nodded. “Yes. I'm sorry, but this is an immense undertaking for me.”
Nyx leaned forward over the captain's desk, tapping a finger on a map close to the captain's side. “Four hundred and fifty for each of us is over two grand in gold, and just to go this far.” Her fingernail tapped loudly on the map. “Look me in the eyes and tell me that's worth it.”
Calder smiled, amused by her. “That's what it costs,” he said, staring right back at her.
Just then, a coral pink energy moved from her hand to his hip. My heart skipped a beat as I realized what she was doing. The man hadn't even noticed the illusion spell.
“I think two hundred a piece is a better deal,” Nyx commented, pulling her hand back. “Don't you?”
Calder nodded. “That sounds good to me.”
I smiled despite myself, proud of my best friend for all she'd accomplished today. “Let's sign the contract,” I offered. “And get this show on the road.”
Calder took a moment to write the details of our agreement on the blank lines, cementing the two hundred number. I knew the charm spell only worked for a matter of minutes, so I wanted to get this done before it wore off. He had us sign along the bottom of the scroll, before he followed up by signing his own name.
“You have the gold with you, I assume?” He questioned.
We did, and we exchanged it with him, handing him one thousand gold in exchange for our copy of the contract.
“We will set sail on the 75th of High Star,” Calder announced, and he stretched out a hand. I shook it, before he moved on to repeat the gesture for the others. That would give us three days to rest and prepare for our next trip. “Be sure to have all of your things prepared and ready to go by morning that day. Bring your contract, and come on board. Find Koby or I, and we'll be off.”
Eight
75th of High Star, 419
