Yama was wiping her sword down with a torn piece of cloth. She’d hold it against the light of the lantern resting on the desk as she inspected its sheen and then fuss over a blemish that wasn’t really there. As Toono continued to observe the waters outside, Yama looked at him and said, “I noticed you didn’t linger in Balle. We cut straight through the city.”
“And?” he muttered, watching her reflection in the glass.
“You didn’t even glance out the lorry’s window once.”
“No distractions.”
Yama’s hand slowed as she ran it over her sword’s spine. “I don’t blame you, but I’m curious about the specifics as to why you didn’t want to take a detour past the orphanage.”
Toono’s fingers squirmed in his lap. “You’re not the inquisitive type, Yama.”
Her gaze met his in the window, and she said, “Was it the memories of the staff’s abuse on the children that you wanted to avoid, or those of Agnos?” When Toono didn’t respond, she asked, “Or were you trying to avoid memories of when your aspirations in life were purer?” Her eyes skated around the cabin as she sheathed her sword and rested it on the desk. “I’m sure this voyage is already doing enough of that. Sailing was a big part of what you once wanted to achieve.”
Toono finally turned his chair around, his gaze remaining calm. He felt he knew where this was coming from. She’d been different ever since that day in the Archaic Mountains. “I know you’ll be grieving Jilly’s—”
“And now you know Agnos is doing exactly this,” Yama said, cutting him off. “And doing it well. He’s off sailing with an entire crew, readying to hunt down the very treasure that you and he once dreamed of chasing together. You’re supposed to be his partner.” She paused, brows furrowed. “You always envisioned yourself as the captain and he the first mate. And together you’d make the greatest find in the history of Kuki Sphaira.”
Toono shook his head, gaze falling to the wooden desktop. “I gave that up a long time ago. You do not know me, Yama. Nobody does, except for Kadlest. You don’t know what drives me, and you never will.”
“But I do know you.”
“No,” he stated firmly. “The art of deception is something I’ve mastered out of necessity.”
Yama glanced at his temple, where a bandage covered every inch of skin around his head. He noticed her intrigue and said, “You’ve never asked throughout the entirety of our time knowing each other, and it’s something I’ve appreciated about you.” He fell quiet, but he didn’t seem angry. Instead, his eyes softened. “Please ... don’t start now.”
* * *
Toono, Kadlest, Yama, and Illipsia occupied the infirmary at the back of the ship. Toono and Yama leaned against a wall, Kadlest lay in the room’s lone hammock, and Illipsia sat atop a desk, her eyes closed and face stiff with concentration. They were playing the waiting game. They had traveled the Archaic River for over a week, but now they were approaching their target.
“We’re headed directly for it,” Illipsia said without opening her eyes. “We should reach your requested distance within the half hour.”
Her eyes opened, and Toono said, “Let’s just hope it is in fact an Adrenian vessel and not any of the others.”
“I’ll be able to tell once we get closer,” she said. “Through my clairvoyance, I should be able to track their speed. I’ll know if they’re Adrenian based off that.”
“I’m sure we can poke our head out and check,” Yama said.
Toono shook his head. “No, the plan is to stay below decks for a reason. We want them to board.”
Yama pushed off the wall, arms folded. “They aren’t idiots. They’re not going to think this ship is abandoned.”
“Obviously not,” Toono said. “They’ll be hesitant, assuming a crew is down here, but they’re still going to board. This ship is tiny enough for them to have the confidence to do so.” He grabbed a chair and dragged it to the middle of the room. “Illipsia, have a seat please.”
As the girl hopped off the table and plopped into the chair, Toono retrieved a coil of rope hanging on the wall. He circled the chair, wrapping the girl and trapping her arms against her body. “And you don’t detect any other large disturbances nearby?” he asked while tying her wrists to the chair’s arm. “I don’t want to board the ship and have to worry about being chased by its friends.”
“None,” she confirmed.
“Alright.” He sighed, standing upright and gazing down at her. He was sure that there weren’t ships in the vicinity. The connecter between the Realm River and the Sea of Light was far too vast for ships to be stationed within easy travel distance. Instead, they were strategically placed just out of eyesight of each other, forming a loose blockade. One would need a well-crafted looking glass to even spot the navy vessels that flanked the ship Toono was currently targeting. He was banking on the fact that since his ship was barely a quarter of the size of the beast they approached, they wouldn’t be noticed by other enemies at this distance.
Toono stepped past Illipsia and retrieved a cutting knife. “I’m still angry at you,” he said.
Illipsia shrugged as best she could while tied down. “It wouldn’t be as believable if I was unharmed,” she stated. “The pain wasn’t too much. Now that I look the way I do, the Adren sailors will pity me.” She looked over at Kadlest in the hammock. “I was taught that men pity malnourished or abused little girls, and I should take advantage of that—prey on that weakness.”
As Toono stepped around Illipsia once more, he glared at Kadlest—something that was out of the ordinary for him in regards to her.
Kadlest grinned. “Those eyes, Toono.”
He disregarded her tease and gazed at Illipsia’s scarred cheek and the fresh cut above her eyebrow. He examined her dirty tunic, holes ripped into its sleeve and rib area. Bruises and cuts were vivid in her skin. He tried blocking the mental images of the young girl throwing herself against desks to bruise her bones or cutting herself to expose blood. Had he desensitized her that much throughout their time knowing each other? For one so young, she’d experienced a lot, starting with their journey through the Void. He had also introduced her to Apoleia Still and dragged her into the Archaic Mountains. Decisions such as this were becoming far too easy for her as she grew older.
“Don’t ever hurt yourself again,” he said. Without waiting for her response, he approached Yama. He dragged the blade’s tip across his own forearm, then extended the arm toward Yama. “Go ahead.”
Yama cocked an eyebrow before grabbing his wound with both hands, proceeding to coat herself in his blood.
“Illipsia is already bloody enough,” Yama said, rubbing Toono’s blood between her fingers and around her fist. “We could have used hers.”
“Illipsia’s blood doesn’t belong on anyone,” he said. “She shouldn’t even be in that condition. We just need for you to look like you did it.”
“Conflicting logic,” Kadlest muttered.
“What was that?” Toono asked, craning his neck to look at the brawny brunette.
“You tell the girl not to hurt herself, and then proceed to slash a blade across your own skin,” Kadlest explained in a bored manner. “You lead by a certain example, but expect her to pick and choose which parts of that example to follow. She’s only thirteen; she’s not quite at the age to make such complex distinctions.”
Toono’s face relaxed. Like always, Kadlest was right.
“We’ve reached the spot,” Illipsia said, her eyes shut again. “Crew is moving frantically, likely trying to make sense of the empty vessel. Several presences gathering near the ship’s guardrail. Cargo hold is empty. Looks like it will be that way for some time.”
Kadlest pried herself out of the hammock’s comforts. “Alright then, let’s get this started.”
Picking up a bag from the table, Toono stuck both of his arms through its straps and secured it to his back. There were several items of importance contained within: a few of them being ancients. He then re
trieved Orbaculum from its spot against the wall. As Kadlest pushed a cupboard full of surgical tools out of the way, Toono looked at Yama and Illipsia and said, “Good luck. Adhere to the plan.”
He turned and joined Kadlest, where she was fidgeting with locks bolted to loops set in the wall. She unlocked all three and swung a section of wall inward, the hidden door revealing the blanket of blue behind them.
“Make sure you put everything back in place,” he said, looking back one last time.
“Clearly,” Yama said.
Toono gazed out at the river and stood Orbaculum in front of him and Kadlest. He blew into the middle of three holes at the top, encasing Kadlest in an elastic bubble as strong as steel. He then formed another one, this time for himself.
Kadlest leapt first, Toono lingering to embrace the dive he was about to take. When he was a child, he had envisioned himself in such a scenario. Of course, for reasons different to now and with Agnos by his side. He looked down into the calm waters and stepped off.
* * *
Toono swam next to Kadlest, their bubbles contorting to hug their bodies. He had sacrificed oxygen supply for the sake of speed and limited drag. This wasn’t supposed to be a long swim. In fact, he could already see his destination in the distance, a massive chain linked to an anchor that was set into the seafloor. Luckily, the ship hadn’t drifted too far away from its anchor point.
Following a colony of sea turtles that swam underneath him, he increased his speed. He reached the chain and hovered next to it, kicking his feet beneath him as he waited for Kadlest to catch up. He held up a finger before climbing to the surface, then pointed down. They descended several meters below, and when Toono looked up again a dazzling show of blue lights flickered and coursed through the upper portions of the sea, just as he predicted. Seashockers.
With Toono’s more modest sized vessel now floating next to the galleon, he knew the captain and his sailors had boarded the mystery craft. They’d likely found Yama and Illipsia, but nobody else. And even with Yama’s tale—that she had thrown the crew overboard leagues back—the captain would have still ordered his seashockers to electrocute the waters. That was standard procedure. Thankfully, seashockers could not reach this depth.
The sun had already begun its descent when Toono and Kadlest leapt into the river an hour earlier. Now that it was gone and the sea practically black, the two of them followed the chain up to the surface, running their elastic-coated hands against the rusted metal for guidance.
Throwing his bag over his shoulder to keep it above water, Toono allowed the bubbles to burst once they broke the surface. He couldn’t risk Dimiourgos drowning and wasting his last life. He grabbed hold of the chain with his free hand, looking up to see that they were tucked underneath the ship’s curved exterior. It was unlikely anyone from the decks would see them even if they were to lean over the rail.
“Go ahead,” he said, looking over at Kadlest.
Biceps bulging, she reached up a few links and yanked the rest of her body out of the water. Water from her clothes rained down upon Toono’s face as he waited for her to create enough space for him to proceed. Once he was safely out of the water, he moved the bag to his back.
Toono’s hands ached by the time they reached their desired point on the chain. The chain’s rust cut into his palms, and his legs had begun to cramp.
“This should be where the orlop is?” Kadlest asked, scanning the hull.
“We’re guessing, but yes,” Toono whispered. He looked down to see the rest of the chain wiggling beneath.
She reached out for a ledge set into the vessel’s exterior. It was just out of reach, her fingers flirting with its edge. She huffed, allowing her arm to dangle. “Am I really going to have to jump?”
Toono studied the amount of surface area she’d have to work with for her landing. “Don’t try to land on it,” he said. “Leap and grab the ledge, then pull yourself up to your feet. You have the strength for it.”
Kadlest did exactly that. One hand lost grip, but she quickly recovered, pulling herself up and onto her feet. She pressed her back against the hull, and Toono almost thought he spotted a flash of fear in her eyes. No way; not Kadlest, he thought. She was a warrior. Taking one glance at the muscular woman would have told anyone that.
Kadlest adjusted herself, so that her right hip was against the hull. Toono scanned the ledge. It led to no windows, but they had planned for such a scenario, just like they had planned for the possibility of there not being a ledge to attach themselves to. Leaning against the ship, Kadlest reached up her sleeve. She fidgeted with her upper arm before withdrawing an onyx-encrusted golden arm ring, otherwise known as her ancient, Baldum.
She pressed the deep black gemstone against the wood of the ship, but only for a second. Pulling it away, she revealed a pea-sized hole. If she had left her ancient there too long, the acid would have spread, eating more than what they wanted.
“What do you see?” Toono whispered as she peeked inside.
She pulled her face away. “Orlop, as expected. And it’s relatively empty.”
Toono gazed up to where the main deck was. “That’s because I hear a lot of activity from above.” He looked at her again. “We must take advantage. We can’t hang here until twilight when they’re asleep. Do you see a latch in the floor?”
She glanced inside again. “It’s lit relatively well inside, but I don’t see a latch.” She paused, then said, “Hold on. They just dragged Yama down from above. They’re pulling her to the back of the ship ...” She trailed off.
“What?”
“I know where the latch is. I just watched them disappear beneath it with Yama. But it’s on the other end of the ship.”
“How many sailors were with her?”
“Six.”
Toono reached out, and Kadlest pulled him up to the ledge. “Do it,” he said. “This is our one opening..”
She pressed the gem against the hull once more, this time leaving it there. As the acid spilled out, she dragged it across the exterior. Within moments, a hole big enough for a person to walk through had formed.
They both stepped inside the orlop. Toono immediately marched across the lower deck, the latch in his sights. A door to a separate room swung open just ahead, and two men exited, freezing upon seeing Toono. He moved too quickly. He disappeared behind them, grabbing a head with each hand, and slamming them together.
As they fell, he stepped over them and reached for the handle set in the floor. “You ready?”
“You go ahead,” she said. “I’ll drag those guys away from somewhere as obvious as this. I’ll be right behind you.”
“Good idea,” he said, swinging open the latch. He grabbed Orbaculum from his back and hopped down into the hold.
At the sound of Toono’s fall, the sailors Kadlest had seen earlier whirled. Their eyes rose to the bandage circling his head. “The Rogue Demon!” one man shouted. Thankfully, it was not likely to be heard from the main deck a few levels above them.
They charged. Toono resisted the urge to use his staff’s ability. If he were to attack with the elastic projectiles, they’d likely make too much noise ... possibly damage the ship, too. If that happened, this monstrosity would sink. Instead he swung Orbaculum into their chests and parried swords with it. Dropping his staff, he dipped under a low-hanging beam to dodge one sword. He quickly grabbed the beam and pulled his feet to the ceiling to avoid an attacker from the opposite side. As his legs fell back to the floor, he twisted his body and kneed a woman in the face.
Toono spun as he heard something fall from above. The bodies of the two men he’d rendered unconscious earlier now lay in the hold. Kadlest dropped down after. A few more sailors continued their assault on Toono until an inky substance was shot into their face. They began clawing at their eyes and screaming in agony, forcing Toono to rush forward and cover both of their mouths. Swiftly, he removed a blade from his waistband and slit their throats before retrieving the final woman and doing the
same.
As they dropped to the floor, Toono glowered at Kadlest. “What happened to this being a silent mission?”
“What’s done is done,” she replied. “Besides, exactly how inconspicuous is the cry of one man stating, ‘Rogue Demon!’?”
He sighed and turned to the dark brig. Yama stepped out of its depths, approaching the bars with a scowl.
“Which one had the key?” he asked.
“The tall woman with red hair,” Yama said.
Toono spotted her crumpled against a bag of flour. He propped her up and dug through her uniform pockets until he found the one that jingled. He headed to the gate, inserting the key in the lock once he reached it. He felt the lock click open but kept the door closed to give off the appearance that it was still locked.
“You know the drill,” he said, glancing at Yama one last time before returning the key to the sailor’s pocket. “Let’s see what you can do without your sword.” He grabbed a couple sailors by their collars and started dragging them across the floor to the opposite end of the ship. Kadlest followed suit.
“I don’t like to be bait,” Yama stated.
“I need you to dangle for a bit longer,” Toono said.
Toono and Kadlest dragged five bodies across the hold to the opposite end, where they found the door to the janitorial room. Toono opened it, then he and Kadlest dragged the bodies inside, slumping them against a wall. Kadlest quickly retrieved the remaining three bodies and brought them to the room. One of the two men that Toono had knocked out in the orlop above grumbled something incoherent as his head tilted to the side.
“We have to kill them,” Kadlest said.
Toono withdrew his blade and approached the only two sailors still breathing. Grabbing a head, he shoved his blade into the back of the skull—a quick death. He did the same with the other man. After checking once more that nobody was alive, Toono stepped past Kadlest and out of the room. They found another door at the hold’s midway point that led to a small storage space the size of a closet.
The Chronicle Page 11
