by Skyler Grant
“I’m going for a theme here,” I said.
“Least yours has something to do with you. Ember?” Walt asked.
“Would you like a moment to rethink who you are? You don’t seem entirely certain,” John Bull said.
Ashley made him bleed a little more for that one. Good. “We’ll let the introductions stand, Captain. You’ve a fine ship.”
That was a lie. It was a fantastically crappy ship compared to either the Ebon Star or the Vainglory, but I suspected neither of those were fair comparisons.
“The Bull’s Charge has served me well. You stealing her, Admiral?”
I could hear the contempt in his tone. It was time to see what I could do about that.
“Did you see a pillar of flame in the sky last night?” I asked.
John Bull’s eyes narrowed. “I reckon every ship in these waters saw that. That why you picked your name?”
“That pillar of flame was the destruction of the Ebon Star, here to hunt pirates. You may have noticed I have a fondness for flames.”
I made sure he got a good look at the flames surrounding Intemperance, before I sheathed the sword.
“You took out the Ebon Star? They say she has ninety guns.”
“Ninety-eight and I silenced them all. I’m moving into these waters, John Bull, and I need men to sail for me. Question is, are you going to be one of my captains or do you choose to burn?”
Ashley cut his throat a little more. I tried not to wince while at the same time admiring her sense of timing.
“I’d have sailed with the man who burned the Ebon Star even without a knife at my throat. That ship nearly took us a year back. You can tell Ember to let me go.”
“I’m Ash.”
“Not my fault you all picked weird fire names. You could have been Siren, or Temptress.”
“Is he flirting with me?”
“I think so,” I said.
Ashley let him go. “Cool.”
John Bull called out with a bellowing cry and more men came from below. In short order a ladder had been dropped over the side and some rather soggy sailors were making their way back up on deck.
I used my Lay on Hands for the pirate I’d burned, the Smite had inflicted some nasty injuries.
A notification blinked in the corner of my vision and I pulled it up.
Congratulations!
You have reached level 9
You have one stat point to assign. As a Paladin of Yvera you have gained a further 15% skill to Seduction. As the Chosen of Yvera you have further gained 1 point of Luck. Due to your attunement you have an increased presence in the physical world and have gained 1 point in both Power and Endurance. You have further gained enhancements to the following abilities…
Fire Within: You now recover from all negative status conditions faster, with the rate of recovery increasing the lower your health goes.
Aura of Destruction: In addition to the previously granted passive damage benefit the environment around you will now be more prone to destruction, especially catching fire.
How disappointing that I didn’t get any new skills this level. The enhancement to Fire Within was badass, impairments could really mess you up in a hurry. I wasn’t sure I really needed things around me blowing up all the time though, that just seemed needless.
I assigned my point this level to Awareness and pulled up my sheet. I’d picked up a point in another few skills through usage.
Name: Liam Ottani
Class: Paladin of Yvera
Deity: Yvera
Titles: Chosen of Yvera, King of Genea, Admiral Flame
Level: 9
HP: 360/360
Stamina: 150/150
Mana: 70/70
XP: 25 of 1000 to next level
Alignment: -1000
Stats
Power: 15 (+6) Endurance: 15 Dexterity: 2
Intelligence: 7 Awareness: 5
Charisma: 12 Luck: 7
Skills
Long Blades: 82
Blunt Weapons: 16
Hand to Hand: 11
Mounted Combat: 15
Light Armor: 15
Medium Armor: 24
Heavy Armor: 17
Persuasion: 32
Seduction: 49
Meditation: 4
Barter: 15
Shield Use: 11
Arson: 7
Double Attack: 2
Blademaster: 1
Spells
Smite
Sense Virtue
Lay on Hands (2 uses per 4 hours)
Bless Water
Bless
Divine Steed
Divine Power
Zealous Blow
Holy Object
Innates
Blessed Nature
Fire Resistance: 50%
Sense Alignment
Fire Within
Fueling the Flame
Aura of Destruction
The crew were very welcoming and it wasn’t long before they’d broken out casks of ale. Two men proved to be passable musicians.
Walt vanished off with a scholarly gentleman that John Bull assured me handled his books. I wasn’t aware that Pirates even kept books, but it seemed that the division of plunder was something they took seriously. As the Admiral, I would get a cut and they needed to work out the details.
Ashley and John Bull flirted the night away and looked to be genuinely enjoying each other’s company. I struck out, but then it was almost relaxing to just be able to drink and enjoy the evening without worrying about who I was going to bed with.
Before Ashley let herself be pulled away to a night of debauchery I led her aside to a quiet bit of deck.
“What’s up?” said Ashley.
“I wanted to check with you and see what you thought. About the pirates, the ship, Cobalt.”
“Shitty ship, John Bull is very muscled. What kind of dumbass question is that?”
“Ash, I trust you and wanted to hear what you had to say. You’re always straight with me and I really value that.”
Ashley gave me a long and considering look from head to toe. “Liam, don’t wuss out.”
“What?”
“Don’t. Fucking. Wuss. Out. I know that I give you shit about your love life.”
“Lots of it.”
“Lots of it. Yeah. And you had it coming. Yvera, Maria, Elsora, and I haven’t even got around to yelling at you for Cobalt yet.”
“That’s coming?”
“Liam, we’re in a fantasy world and that chick is the only one flying around in an airship. She is so suspicious, but here is the thing—I hate your crazy bitch of a Goddess and if you aren’t careful around her I’ll cut your balls off myself until you see sense, but so far she hasn’t screwed us. Listening to her has gotten you a castle, the sweetest piece of gear any of us has, and me a second chance.”
“That almost sounds like you saying you were wrong.”
“Shut up and let me finish. Maria—”
“You argued I shouldn’t betray her.”
“And I was right. She is creepy and crazy as fuck, but she stood by us when it would have been easy to stand by her dad instead.”
“And we killed him for it.”
“Maybe I should have warned her about you instead. Elsora is too prissy and fancy by half, but we’re out here now only because you’re confident things are being run well back at the castle. That is all her.”
“I have no idea where you are going with all this.”
“You worry a lot about the choices you’ve made. Question them. You already do it too much and now you’re starting to wonder about the ones you haven’t even made yet. That is getting into wuss territory. You think with your dick way too much and it’s going to get you and us into trouble, but man up and own it.”
“You’re pretty good at this advice thing.”
“Like you said. I’ve always been straight with you, Liam. You good?”
“Yeah. I’m good. Thanks.”
&nb
sp; “You’re welcome. Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go ride a bull. Have fun.”
CHAPTER TEN
The next morning found me hungover and beneath a table. I think I’d gotten into a drinking contest with an orc the night before.
There was a swirl of flame and Yvera appeared looking as composed and perfect as ever. She was dressed again today, her attire more fancy than usual and her expression irritated as she began to pace back and forth upon the deck.
“Hi,” I said.
“You found another boat. A boat somehow even more squalid than the last.”
“Ship,” I said. I just couldn’t help myself.
Yvera’s gaze snapped to me. “If the man in the silly hat has corrupted you into doing this on an ongoing basis, I shall be wroth.”
“It is a pirate ship. They are filthy. But I set some people on fire, you’d have liked that bit.”
Yvera gave an amused snort. “I would have liked that bit. I wasn’t watching. Did they scream?”
“Lots.”
“You seem distracted,”
“I am. Both here and there I am beset by mysteries and puzzles.”
“Can I help?”
That question earned me a flash of smile, all too brief before her pacing resumed. “You are. I need you here doing what you do. I know you feel that somehow you stumbled into all of this by chance, but I truly do not think that at all.”
“This was meant to be Tommy’s place. My brother should have been here.”
“I was not freed to bond with your brother. No Liam, you are exactly where you are supposed to be and we are both exactly where someone intended us to be.”
“Why would your kin do that? Don’t you intend to stage a new rebellion? Which is exactly why they locked you away the last time?”
“Why indeed. So play your part Liam, do what comes naturally and we’ll let this continue to play out.”
“It doesn’t seem like you to just sit back and watch.”
That hit a nerve, the fiery aura around her pulsing. “I am not giving up, Liam. I am picking my time and my moment. You are a part of that, you all are.”
“You haven’t seemed to care about that for the last week. I’ve barely seen you.”
Those flames pulsed again and I felt a wash of heat. “Neediness is such an unattractive quality in a man.”
I liked flirting with Yvera a lot more than I liked fighting with her. I was kind of on the attack, and even more so than with most women, but I was sure it was a fight I’d never win.
“Do you have a plan for our next steps?”
“I always have a plan. If you are quite done impressing and screwing the pirates, we’re going to track down Atlantis.”
“You mentioned that to Cobalt earlier. Atlantis and the Goddess that lives there,”
“Atlantia. Clearly nobody decided to get clever with naming. Should we get the opportunity we’ll have to colonize new territory and call it Yveland.”
“I like Liam’s Mill.”
Yvera’s lips quirked into an expression of distaste. “We must always pretend to have standards, Liam. Atlantia is the Goddess of the oceans and of vengeful wrath.”
“Sounds fun.”
“Standards. Water goddesses aren’t for bedding.”
“Aren’t you Goddess enough already?”
“More than enough and I fully intend to stay that way. Atlantia is the greatest threat to me in this world and while we are here, we might as well find out how much.”
“Do you think she’d actually talk to you?”
“I’ll be charming.”
“You aren’t as good at that as you think you are.”
“Says the man who has fallen madly in love with me and signed on to almost certain death in becoming my Chosen.”
“Says the man you tried to convince not to do it.”
Yvera glared.
Right. I guess I wasn’t winning this one. I said, “Fine. You’ll be charming. So we just need to find her and Atlantis then.”
“Cobalt is looking for a way I’m sure.”
“Since you bring her up. Thoughts?”
“Excellent bedroom technique. That thing she did with her tongue and elbow is physically impossible for ninety-four percent of the population.”
I flushed and said, “You saw that.”
“Did you not understand when I told you I was always watching, or did you simply not believe me? I may not choose to attempt to manage or comment on every single aspect of your life, but never make the mistake of thinking that you are hiding any secrets from me.”
That was uncomfortable, reassuring, and kind of a turn-on all at once. I’d have to sort through that jumble of sensations later. “Outside of the sex, you agreed to that deal with her.”
“I did. She is dangerous, and I like having dangerous friends far more than I like having dangerous enemies. It is an instinct you seem to share and so far it is serving you well. Enough stupid questions, Liam. I’m not a dating compatibility test.”
“Were you ever?”
“No. The closest would be Palivar, he was once analysis software to determine how well management teams would mesh.”
Yvera seemed far more serious than the Goddess I’d first met back in Sardonis Castle. She said, “You have your marching orders, Liam. Play pirate, if you must, but finding Atlantis takes priority.”
“It’s my fault isn’t it?”
“You will need to explain that.”
“You. You’re not right in the head. I love you, I can tell. You’re saying that you are in my head, but I know it really does go both ways. Elements. Water is your weakness and I am surrounded on all sides and headed towards its very heart. I’m hurting you just by being here, aren’t I?”
“It is a headache that does not go away, Liam. This place hates me and I hate it. I’ll deal with it. We’ll deal with it.”
“I need to be here right now. Elsora is trying her damnedest back at the castle, but losing those supplies really hurt us.”
“I know. I wish you’d saved this fight until we were both stronger, but events transpired otherwise. Perhaps they were meant to. We don’t back down.”
“You don’t like being pushed into a corner.”
“Push a fire and you get burned, Liam, always. Know it, live it.”
With those parting words she vanished in a puff of flame and the deck was colder for her absence.
It took some time to roust the others. A disheveled Ashley seemed in good spirits and a hungover Walt was barely functional. Soon though we were headed back to shore and John Bull assured us that he’d spread the word in every port.
*****
We’d arrived at Atlantis, in a manner of speaking.
The Vainglory hung just outside a twister of water that vanished into the clouds. It was a remarkable sight. We’d signaled Cobalt that we were ready to be picked up and upon boarding the ship she let us know they had found Atlantis on the charts.
“You didn’t have to research in any ancient tomes or anything?”
“Atlantis was until a few decades ago the major trading hub of this region. It used to be on every chart as a safe haven, although these days all steer clear.”
I could see why. The towering wall of water looked violent enough to destroy anything so careless as to get near. In an airship we were safe, in an ocean vessel we’d have been anything but.
“So this thing surrounds the whole island?”
“Not a break in it anywhere and even the Vainglory can’t go up high enough to reach the top.”
“You’ve tried?”
“The only thing I love more than a good mystery is a good adventure, this is both.”
“When did this happen?”
“Decades ago. I don’t know what happened, but it happened all at once. This twister appeared and Annua began to patrol the waters and destroying ships. Storms keep getting worse every year.”
Cobalt was excited as she talked about what happened. I might not ha
ve her unerring ear for the truth, but our Lover’s bond did give me some sense of her emotions.
“No wonder things are such a mess,” I said.
“Pirates have always sailed these waters, but many of these who are now pirates are new to it. Fisherman and traders forced into a new life. Of course, this increase in their numbers has inspired others to try harder than ever to exterminate them.”
“And nobody knows what happened?”
“Atlantia was always unpredictable and savage. The sea can be cruel. Every sailor knows it. Things have gone well beyond that.”
“Do you have any guesses as to what happened?”
Cobalt paused. “This isn’t just anger. It’s pain. You don’t wall yourself off from the world unless you’ve been hurt.”
That made a lot of sense. “I have to get in there.”
“So your Goddess said. It’s crazy and reckless.”
I grinned at her. “Making you hot?”
“It’s working for me. I have an idea, give me some time and I think I can get us past the barrier.”
Further questions had to be set aside when Ashley ran up onto deck. “Bull is in trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“Pirates. He put into some place called Madrosa and something happened.”
Cobalt eyed Ashley. “He left you a charm to communicate. Cute.”
Nobody had given me a charm. Rude.
Ashley caught my expression. “They’re really rare.”
Cobalt nodded. “He likes her. Bull probably went into port bragging about his new Admiral and the other ships in port saw easy prey.”
