by Tim Waggoner
Thokk cleared his throat and gestured toward the door of a cabin just off the main deck. He then began speaking in an awkward, stilted manner, as if reciting lines that he'd been forced against his will to memorize. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is both my pleasure and my very great honor to introduce you to your host for this voyage… a man known in ports throughout the Principalities as the Master of Maelstroms, the Sage of the Trade Winds, and"-he momentarily lowered his voice to a murmur-"he likes this one best of all: the Lion of the Lhazaar! I give you… Captain Onu!"
The cabin door burst open and Onu stepped out onto the deck, highly polished boots thumping on the planking as he walked toward them. No, strutted would be a better word. He moved with a swaggering confidence that was so exaggerated it was almost comical. He was dressed in the same uniform he'd been wearing last night, and despite the cold, he wore no cloak for additional protection against the temperature. His captain's uniform was spotless and appeared to have been recently pressed, which was some feat, given that the last time Ghaji had seen the man, he'd been so drunk that he'd spilled ale all over himself.
"Greetings, my friends! Allow me to officially welcome you aboard the Turnabout, the finest ship to ever ply the jeweled waters of the Lhazaar!"
Ghaji glanced off the port bow at the murky gray sea. He'd heard many words used to describe the Lhazaar-harsh, unforgiving, treacherous-but never jeweled.
Diran leaned close to Ghaji. "I see what you mean," he whispered.
"I was privileged to make most of your acquaintances last night at the Ill Wind, but I see there are two fine worthies with us this day that I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting face to face." Onu walked over to Leontis and clapped the grim priest on the shoulder. "Sir Leontis Dellacron, my humble vessel is graced by your presence!"
Leontis bowed his head to acknowledge the captain's welcome, but otherwise didn't respond. If Onu was disappointed by Leontis's lackluster reaction, he gave no sign of it. Grinning broadly, he grabbed the priest's right hand in both of his and shook it vigorously.
Ghaji leaned close to Diran this time. "Humble vessel? Didn't he just say she was the finest ship to ply the Lhazaar a moment ago?"
Onu released Leontis's hand and spun around so quickly that Ghaji thought the boisterous mariner might lose his balance and fall to the deck, but he remained upright. Ghaji wondered if Onu's problem was a fondness for strong drink. It would explain his over-enthusiastic manner and why he'd slept in this morning-not to mention his abrupt and at times almost spastic movements. But when the half-orc sniffed the air, he detected no trace of alcohol on Onu, and if the man had been drinking recently, Ghaji would've smelled it.
The captain, near-maniacal grin firmly in place, approached Diran and shook his hand with the same enthusiastic energy as he'd greeted Leontis.
"Diran Bastiaan! To imagine the much-lauded Blade of the Flame stands upon the deck of my ship… more, that I am at this very moment shaking his hand! It as if I stand in the presence of a legend made flesh!"
Ghaji scowled. "You weren't this excited when you met me last night. You know, the half-orc warrior who's Diran's partner? The man who's stood by his side against the forces of darkness and who's saved his life a dozen times over?"
Onu didn't take his gaze off Diran as he responded to Ghaji. "Yes, yes, yes… and to be sure, it was a great honor and transcendent joy to meet you as well, Ghaddi."
"That's Gha-yee."
"Of course it is! My most sincere apologies!" Onu still didn't take his gaze off Diran, and he continued to shake the priest's hand vigorously, as if it were a small animal he was attempting to throttle. "The stories I've heard about the two of you… To be honest, and I pray that you can both find it in your oh-so-generous hearts to forgive me. I didn't realize that it was that Diran who wished to hire the Turnabout until after I left the tavern last night. Tell me, is it true what they say? Did you single-handedly end the curse of Kolbyr when no one else had even come close in the last hundred years?"
An expression of embarrassed annoyance crossed Diran's face, and he gently but firmly pulled his hand away from Onu's grasp. "I was happy to play a role in the lifting of the curse, but it was far from an individual effort. Ghaji, Asenka, and Leontis all-"
"Yes, of course, I meant no slight!" Onu said. "But you simply must tell me all about it! What was it like? Was the Fury more intense in the presence of the Baroness's firstborn? Did the boy attempt to stop you? How did you manage-?"
Thokk cleared his throat loudly. "Captain, I believe you have something of importance you wish to do… something that will help us make better time on our journey?"
Onu looked at Thokk and frowned in momentary confusion, but then his face brightened. "Ah, yes! Of course! Master Thokk, if you would be so kind as to do the honors?"
The dwarf reached beneath his tunic collar and brought out a medallion on a metal chain. It was nothing special-just a misshapen lump of iron, really. But Thokk held it in the palm of his hand with a gentle reverence that suggested it was of great value, at least to him.
"Normally we don't carry passengers," Thokk said. "But the amount of money the Baroness offered was more than enough for us to make an exception in your case. What you're about to see is something… private, and all who sign on to the Turnabout's crew swear a magically binding oath never to reveal any of the ship's secrets. This medallion ensures that they'll keep their word. We'll need you to take the same oath before we can proceed any further."
Diran and Ghaji exchanged doubtful looks. Neither was thrilled at the prospect of being bound to an oath of which they knew nothing and, from the expressions on their faces, neither were any of their companions.
"Come now, my friends," Onu said. "It's a mere technicality, but I'm afraid we must insist. Trade secrets an all that, you understand." He gave them all a smile that was at once apologetic and reassuring.
"And what happens if we decline?" Diran asked.
"Nothing," Thokk said. "We will continue on our present heading to Trebaz Sinara." The dwarf paused meaningfully. "At our present speed."
"Which means we won't arrive for eight days," Ghaji said.
Neither Onu nor Thokk said anything more. The dwarf continued holding the iron medallion in the palm of his hand, waiting for them to make up their minds.
"I swear," Solus said.
Light glittered across the gray surface of the medallion as its magic bound the psiforged to his oath.
"Do you know something we don't?" Tresslar asked the psiforged.
Solus's artificial face was incapable of expression, but one of his green eyes momentarily went black before returning to its normal color.
Ghaji had to fight to keep from grinning. Had Solus just winked? Perhaps the psiforged had decided to make an exception to his no mind-reading rule.
Hinto was the next to swear. "If Solus thinks it's safe, then I do, too."
That was enough. The medallion glittered as the halfling's oath was accepted.
The rest of the companions swore in turn: Tresslar, Yvka, Asenka, Leontis, Diran and, with much reluctance, Ghaji.
Satisfied, Thokk tucked the medallion back into his tunic. He then spoke in a language Ghaji recognized as Dwarven, though he didn't understand the words. The distortion in the air behind the three masts grew more pronounced, and then three towers appeared, atop of each a large metal circle. Ghaji recognized them as containment rings, through much larger than the one aboard the Zephyr.
"This is an elemental galleon!" Tresslar said. "No wonder your ship has a reputation for being fast. I assume the runners are visible now as well?"
Thokk said nothing, but Onu answered with his usual enthusiasm. "Everything about the ship's true nature is now visible-to those of us who swore on the Oathbinder, that is. It wouldn't be very practical to have crew and passengers stumbling about on deck, bashing into elemental containment towers and such that they can't see, now would it? Would you like to take a look at the runners? All you have to do is peer ove
r the side. I especially enjoy watching the spray they make when the ship's running at full speed. On a sunny day, you can see little rainbows in the mist. It's quite lovely!"
Thokk scowled and Onu looked suddenly embarrassed. "But I suppose it's too cloudy today, isn't it?"
"The illusion spells cloaking the containment towers aren't bad," Tresslar said, "but they won't stand up to scrutiny. I suppose that's why you make anchor so far from the docks: to keep anyone from getting a close look."
"That, and to keep our distance from the Fury," Onu said. "When the curse was still active, that is. It would've been most inconvenient to have our crew suddenly trying to kill one another."
"What I don't understand is why you bother to hide the true nature of your vessel," Asenka said. "You'd get far more business if people knew how fast the Turnabout can travel."
"Perhaps concealing their true speed is what allows them to attract the kind of business they want," Yvka said. She gave Onu and Thokk a meaningful look. "The kind that pays a hefty sum to have cargo transported swiftly and discreetly."
Onu began to open his mouth, but Thokk spoke first, cutting the captain off. "You've paid your fee-or at least Calida has paid for you-and you've sworn your oaths. Now I'll inform our pilots to rouse the elementals, and we'll get well and truly underway. We should reach Trebaz Sinara within two days-perhaps a touch less if the pilots can squeeze a bit more wind out of the elementals. Calida has certainly paid enough for them to try." The dwarf turned to Onu. "If you wouldn't mind coming with me, Captain, I'm sure the pilots will work harder if you offer them some personal encouragement."
"Of course, Bartalan! I'm always delighted to do whatever I can to help keep the crew's spirits high!" Onu turned to Diran. "I insist that all of you join me in my cabin for dinner this evening. It'll be somewhat cramped, but I think we'll be able to manage. And I fully expect you to regail with me with wondrous tales of adventure for as long as the wine holds!" He laughed, clapped Diran on the back so hard that the priest staggered forward from the impact, and then Onu followed Thokk and the two began to make their way over to the closest containment tower, the captain talking loudly the entire way, and the first mate pointedly ignoring him.
Diran watched them go. "They're an odd pair. And before you say anything, Ghaji, I know others have spoken the same about you and me. I suspect there's more to their relationship beyond captain and mate, though I have no notion what."
Ghaji looked at Solus. "Do you know?"
The psiforged shook his head. "I limited myself to probing the dwarf's surface thoughts, going deep enough to determine if taking the oath would prove to be a danger to us but no farther. Even so, I sensed some vague background thoughts and emotions… enough to make me believe that Diran is correct in his assumption. Just as the true nature of the Turnabout was hidden from us, so too is the true nature of Onu and Thokk's relationship."
"I wonder if we'll learn the truth about them," Asenka asked.
"If we do, we won't be able to speak of it to others," Tresslar said. "We are now physically incapable of speaking, writing, or in any way communicating information regarding the Turnabout to anyone who is not already bound by the magic of the Oathbinder. And remember what Thokk asked us? To swear that we wouldn't reveal any of the ship's secrets. He didn't limit us to just the one secret, either."
Anger clouded Yvka's delicate features. "You knew that and didn't tell us? Who knows what we might learn about the Turnabout and her crew? And we won't be able to tell anyone? Ever?"
"I'm sure you're employers would've preferred you didn't take the oath," Tresslar said. "But I saw no point in informing the rest of you about the scope of the promise we allowed ourselves to be mystically bound to. I want the Amahau back, and swearing that oath was the only way to ensure that we reach Trebaz Sinara as swiftly as possible. We all had to swear. If even one of us refused, Onu would never have given the command to use the ship's elementals."
Yvka looked as if she'd gladly cut Tresslar's throat right then, but she fell silent. Ghaji knew that as an operative of the Shadow Network, it galled her to be tricked into anything, let alone being tricked into taking a magically-binding oath as broad in scope as this one. Secrets were the Network's stock in trade, but what good were secrets to an operative if she couldn't use them?
Ghaji was about to say something to Yvka, but before he could, the three containment rings flared to life as the pilots seated within the towers activated the spells that woke the air elementals. Gusts of wind blasted forth from the rings to fill the Turnabout's sails, and the galleon leaped forward, the sudden acceleration almost knocking the companions off their feet.
They were on their way to Trebaz Sinara at last.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
It shouldn't be long now."
Nathifa stood at the prow of the Zephyr, her bloodless white hands gripping the ice-covered railing. She looked eastward into the darkness, toward Trebaz Sinara. Skarm sat in the pilot's seat behind the glowing containment ring, keeping the air elemental active. The barghest, while possessing more stamina than a mortal creature, was on the brink of exhaustion. The magic that controlled the elemental was contained within the pilot's chair itself, but wielding that magic still required the contribution of the pilot's will. Someone trained in using the seat's magic could do so with minimum effort, but Skarm had no such training. Thus the energy drain on the barghest was significant. Not that Nathifa cared what happened to Skarm. All that concerned her was reaching Trebaz Sinara and obtaining the last object she needed to realize her dark dreams-and those of her mistress, of course.
The lich sorceress sensed more than heard Makala approach her from behind. A moment later, the vampire joined Nathifa at the railing.
"Haaken is still sleeping. And before you ask, I didn't take any of his blood… much as I might have wanted to."
"I would've known if you'd tried. And I would've punished you."
Makala smiled, as if to show that Nathifa's threat didn't impress her. The vampire was becoming far too bold, and the lich was beginning to regret accepting her as a servant. She reminded herself that Vol sent Makala to her, and that meant the vampire had an important role to play in fulfilling the queen's plan. But Nathifa vowed to continue keeping close watch on the woman, for she had no doubt that Makala was going to attempt some manner of treachery, and sooner rather than later.
"Why does the man sleep so much?" Makala asked. "He's no longer human, but he still seems to possess a human's weaknesses."
"He's no longer only human," Nathifa corrected. "He still requires rest, though less than a mortal needs. While you slumbered during the day, Haaken spent several hours practicing his new skills. He's unused to transforming back and forth between his various forms, and he's unaccustomed to the physical exertion of swimming so much."
Letting Haaken swim meant deactivating the air elemental so that he could keep up with the Zephyr. Nathifa didn't like slowing down and adding hours to their journey, but Haaken would be useless to her as a servant if he didn't possess at least a minimal mastery of his lycanthropic skills. Nathifa forced herself to view the delay as an investment, though it wasn't easy. She'd bided her time for a hundred years, but now that the culmination of everything she had worked for was finally at hand, she found herself becoming increasingly impatient, almost as if she were a mortal woman again.
She gazed up at the night sky. The cloud cover was light, and the Ring of Siberys was visible off to the south, a luminescent band of golden dragonshards that encircled the world high above the equator. A number of Eberron's twelve moons could be seen as well, four of them full and bright.
Nathifa frowned. Something tickled at the edges of her memory… something about full moons and sailing on the Lhazaar. It was a memory from her living days, when she and her two brothers had raided throughout the Principalities. But she couldn't quite-
The moons dimmed and winked out, followed closely by the Ring of Siberys. Nathifa was a lich, and thus couldn't know
fear, but she felt something distantly akin to that emotion as she looked up at the black sky.
"The sky's gone dark," Makala said. "Is a storm coming?" The vampire didn't sound afraid, merely curious.
Nathifa struggled to call on more memories from her life as a mortal woman. "It doesn't feel like a storm. You can smell a storm coming, even when it's still miles away." Not that she could-her sense of smell had died with her mortal body a century ago. But the vampire's senses were sharp, and Makala should be able to detect a change in the wind's scent.
The wind began to kick up then, almost as if purposefully contradicting Nathifa's words. It gathered strength quickly, and was soon blowing with gale force, the air so cold that even Nathifa's undead flesh could feel it, and for the first time since she'd died, Nathifa shivered.
"It certainly feels like a storm to me!" Makala had to shout to be heard over the roaring of the wind.
"It's worse than that!" Haaken shouted. "It's a Ragestorm!"
The two undead creatures turned to see Haaken approaching. Though the newly reborn lycanthrope wore only the black trunks Nathifa had given him, he appeared unaffected by the wind's icy blast. Nevertheless, the fear he felt was evident in the panicked expression on his face as he gazed up at the blackened sky.
It had been many years since Nathifa had sailed the Lhazaar as a living woman, but she was confident she'd never heard of anything called a Ragestorm. She was about to demand Haaken tell them what he knew, but the lycanthrope spun and headed aft.
"We have to deactivate the elemental!" he shouted over his shoulder as he made his way across the ice-covered deck toward the pilot's seat. Skarm still sat, hand pressed palm down on the control arm of the chair, keeping the air elemental active.
Nathifa felt a surge of anger. Haaken was her servant, and she should be giving orders to him, not the other way around. But the man's sailing experience was far more recent than hers, and she decided to trust that he knew what he was doing. She once again looked skyward to see what she might be able to discern about this Ragestorm.
