The Aspect: The Cessation's Harbinger

by Ajax Lygan

  “When we got to The Academy, everyone was already dead. They were trapped in a barrier that Queen Vatia had to weaken just to allow myself and my companions in. It wasn’t just students and faculty, though. There was a group of apian’s that were researching how to create a new Queen. My companions and I had helped them save their colony from destruction only a few weeks prior.”

  Tempest bowed his head. “We’d spilled blood, sweat, and tears with them. They became our friends, only to have them taken away from us by some unknown group. This group, called The Cessation, is involved somehow. The problem is that this attack on The Academy isn’t the first, it’s the third attack of this scale that we’ve helped thwart.”

  Samara clenched her jaw and stood up from the makeshift chair. “Then you have my word; we will avenge them.”

  “To those who we’ve loved and lost,” Tempest said, standing and raising his glass.

  “To those that will always be in our hearts,” Samara said. The two clinked their glasses and downed the rest of their drinks. When they finished, they joined the festivities with the remainder of the crew in a much-needed night of celebration and camaraderie. For the assault upon the island fortress would be a dark stain on each of their lives they would soon want to forget.

  13

  No Forgiveness

  “Strike sail and drop anchor!” Captain Helmrunner shouted to the group. After a few seconds, the ship’s anchor took hold and the ship slowed before coming to a creaking halt. Tempest left his companions and made his way up to the quarterdeck.

  “I don’t see the island anywhere. Where is it?” he asked.

  “That’s kind of the point,” Captain Helmrunner said. “We don’t want to be seen waltzing up toward a fortress, now, do we.” She walked down the stairs toward the bow of the ship. Once she reached the end, she held up her hand vertically and extended it outward. “I put us close to land as the islands are right around this bend. If we were to keep going forward, we would be completely exposed.”

  “Oh,” Tempest said dumbfounded. “Well, thanks for that.”

  Captain Helmrunner jabbed him in the shoulder. “Don’t worry, this isn’t my first time assaulting a fortress.”

  “So, what’s the plan for getting us there?” asked Ella.

  Captain Helmrunner turned around with a smug smile on her face. “I was actually thinking about that. How well can you four hold your breath?” Tempest and his companions looked at each other quickly before Captain Helmrunner continued. “The fastest way for us to get there is to go underwater. I can get four of my boys to swim you to the edge, you all get in, do whatever it is you need to do, and when you’re ready, signal us to bring the rest of the cavalry.”

  Tempest took a step forward and leaned in to whisper. “I don’t want to pull you into this, Samara. This isn’t your fight.”

  “I told you we would help get you justice and I meant it.”

  Tempest nodded as he leaned back up. “Okay, so we’ll just have to come up for air, that will still make us visible on our way in.”

  “Maybe we won’t have to,” Ella said, speaking up. “I have an idea. I am going to need alcohol, seaweed, and a few drops of ubian blood.” All the crew seemed to mutter in unison at that last bit. “You bunch of babies,” she said, looking at all the crew. “Snaggletooth, go snag some seaweed for Lady Fleetfoot, and One-Eye grab her some rum.” In less than ten seconds, the crewmates had retrieved the necessary ingredients. Ella had already begun combining several reagents into a large bottle. With everything added, she looked toward the Captain who held out her hand.

  “Make it quick.”

  Ella pulled out one of her bolts, pricked the Captain’s finger, and squeezed a few drops of blood into the vial. Immediately, the tincture began bubbling a bright blue color. Ella was the first to take a swig. Everyone watched intently as she pulled on her collar, stretching her neck. Nothing changed physically, that anyone could see, yet Ella gave Tempest the vial and approached the edge of the boat, ready to jump.

  “I’m going to need someone in the water with me when I test this. If it doesn’t work, well, I’m likely to drown.” The Captain snapped her fingers and several of the men jumped in with her. Everyone ran to the edge of the boat and watched intently at the bubbling surface, waiting for any sign of success or failure. After a few seconds, a white and purple furry head popped from the water with a giant grin on her face. “It works. The concoction should allow us to breathe underwater.” The crew cheered as they helped Ella from the water. They all turned toward Tempest, who was holding the vial.

  “Bottoms up,” he said before taking a drink from the bottle and then handing it to Saïgra. It was sweet from the rum but surprisingly thick like honey as it made its way down toward his stomach.

  When it began to move throughout his body, he felt a warm sensation. As he breathed, he felt his lungs burn like he was breathing in ash. It passed after a moment but was slightly uncomfortable. Then he felt his eyes begin to burn, causing him to rub his fists in them in an effort to soothe the sensation. That too passed. With no other symptoms, Tempest moved to the edge of the boat. When he looked back, everyone smiled. When he turned back toward the water, he took a deep breath and jumped in.

  The water was cool but refreshing. Instinctively, Tempest held his breath as he waded in the water. One-eye and Brutus were already down in the water, waiting for him. When he first opened his eyes, the sight of the two large Ubian men with their smiling rows of teeth, gray bodies, and black eyes startled Tempest. They looked like wraiths in the darkened abyss, ready to bring the souls of the dead to the bottom of the sea.

  Tempest had to concentrate to push through every natural feeling, telling him not to breathe. When he did, his body rejected the feeling of water going up his nose and mouth causing him to cough, however, after the initial fit, his breathing became natural. He smiled and gave the pair of ubians a thumbs up before swimming up toward the surface.

  “We’re good!” Tempest shouted as he climbed back up the side of the boat. He dumped out the water in his boots once he was on top of the deck. “Ella, do you know how long it will last?”

  Ella looked up in the air and counted on her fingers. “It’s untested and far from stable, but I used the same base reagents I use in my transformation potions, which normally last eight to ten hours. Given that, I would assume four hours or so max. More than enough time than we need.”

  Tempest nodded and looked at his companions. He raised his brow as he looked at Riika and recalled their venture into The Academy. “Riika, what do you think about hanging back and leading the assault group on the fortress?”

  Her lip curled as she leaned back like Tempest had taken a swing at her. “Why? I should be there with you in case anything happens.”

  “The plan is to sneak in, grab those responsible, and see if we can find out where they took Sophia. You sound like a goblin banging pots and pans when you walk down a hallway.” Riika huffed and crossed her arms. Tempest walked toward her and grabbed the front of her breastplate. “I’m giving you the most important job. If we set off an alarm or give you the signal, there’s going to be a ton of them all over us. We need you to be there for the reinforcements or it’s going to be an endless night.”

  “I’d still rather be there with you, but I’ll do as you ask.”

  Tempest pulled her armor further, bringing her in close enough to allow him to leave her with a small kiss on her nose.

  “That’s all?!” she shouted, sending a roar of laughter amongst the crew. Tempest pulled her in once again and sucked on her thick lips, leaving with an audible smack as he pulled away.

  “All right,” Captain Helmrunner said, waving everyone close to a table with a hastily drawn map of the surrounding area. “We’re going to go over this one more time.” She waited until everyone was close enough to see.

  “Brutus and Killer will be scouts while One-eye, Anchor, and myself will be chauffeurs for Lady Fleetfoot, Lady Saïgra, and Si
r Tempest. Brutus and Killer will scout ahead around the island, dispatching any foes in the surrounding water. We’ll give them a five-minute head start before we begin our approach. Once we’re two hundred feet from the beach or we reach the drop off, whichever is sooner, we’ll wait until Brutus and Killer rendezvous back. Hopefully, it will be clear and we can make our way inside.”

  She nodded to Tempest and his companions. “Lady Fleetfoot, Lady Saïgra, and Sir Tempest will begin their infiltration into the fortress. While I return to the ship, Brutus and Killer will await nearby in the event of needed reinforcements. Once Lady Fleetfoot, Lady Saïgra, and Sir Tempest have completed their tasks, they will signal us with an explosive we’ll see in the air. At that point, we will begin our breach of the fortress and mop up any remaining hostiles.”

  Captain Helmrunner placed her hands on her hips and looked at each of her crew before continuing. “Now, I know this is nothing that you all signed up for. Each of you has a choice on whether you want to do this.”

  “We’re with you, boss,” Killer said, speaking up from the back. The sentiment rolled through the rest of the crew as they began clanking their weapons on their bodies. The energy was electric as the crew’s grunts built into war cries, with Tempest and his companions joining in. Captain Helmrunner turned to Tempest, and the two clasped arms before walking toward the edge of the boat and jumping into the water once more.

  Tempest heard the thuds of his companions enter the water from above. The bubbles masked their bodies until they moved closer. They all floated toward each other, getting into a circle. Captain Helmrunner spoke, muffled by the water.

  “Tempest, you’re with Anchor, Saïgra with One-eye, and I’ll take Ella.” Tempest turned toward Anchor who pointed over his shoulder toward his back fin.

  “Grab on and hold on tight,” he said with a devilish smile. Tempest centered himself and enveloped himself in a small force bubble, thinking it would be easier for him to glide through the water. Once he was ready, he gave Anchor a tap on the shoulder with his other hand. They waited until the two other pairs were ready. At the signal of the Captain, they soared through the water with unprecedented speed. It was a good thing he braced himself as they took off, as Anchor could have easily dislocated his shoulder if he had not prepared for the torque.

  Tempest had a hard time telling how fast they were going until they came across a school of illuminated plankton. The small glowing fish streaked around them like they were floating through the night’s stars at unimaginable speed. Small patches of glowing sea fauna lit up the nearby coral, creating dancing lights on the bottom of the sea floor. Tempest felt himself getting lost in the spectacle until he felt Anchor begin to slow.

  When he looked up, Captain Helmrunner was waving back at them until they all floated toward a halt. She waited for a moment before swimming back toward the rest of the group.

  “We’ll wait here for a few minutes for Brutus and Killer to finish their scout,” Captain Helmrunner said, turning back toward the island. Tempest noticed her posture getting more and more rigid as the time went on. He leaned over to Anchor as they waded.

  “Everything okay? The Captain seems a little tense.”

  “We all are,” Anchor responded shortly. “Brutus and Killer are our best swimmers. They could have lapped the island twice by…” Anchor stopped speaking as he began sniffing out toward the darkness.

  “What is it?”

  “Blood. Get ready, someone is coming.” Tempest floated his swordstaff to his hand, intending to use it like a makeshift harpoon. He saw the two shadows come into view.

  Killer had his arms wrapped around Brutus, who was holding both hands to his side. The three pairs rushed toward their companions’ aid. Without hesitation, Tempest reached his hand out toward them both. Initially he found their physiology confusing, but like putting a building block into a puzzle, he began to identify markers for each of the pieces. Killer only had superficial bruising, whereas Brutus had a deep laceration across his abdomen. After a few seconds of concentration, he sealed the wound completely.

  “What the…” Brutus said, grabbing at his flesh. The crew sat there in shock except for the Captain who promptly smacked Brutus upside the head.

  “You idiot, you’re supposed to be more careful.”

  “It wasn’t his fault,” Killer said. “They had native ubians camouflaged in the surrounding coral. We didn’t catch them until they had us surrounded.”

  “Yeah, we thought we killed ‘em all, before one sliced me pretty good.”

  “How many were there?” Captain Helmrunner asked.

  “At least a dozen,” Killer said.

  Captain Helmrunner waved everyone toward her. “They’ll have to check in sometime. We need to get you three in there now.”

  “There’s an interior dock inside a cave on the opposite face of the island. That’s probably the best entry point. “

  “All right, let’s get them in there.” Brutus and Killer led the group as they swam closer inland. Tempest could see the rocky and sandy surface of the nearby shoreline. When he looked up, he could see the fractured view of the island’s walls as they swam toward the back. The smooth, stacked stone made it clear that they had entered the interior docks. Once they crossed the threshold of sand to stone, everyone swam slowly in an effort to eliminate any type of wake. Killer and Brutus led them underneath the docks and in between the pilings, allowing the torch light from above to cast a stripe runway for their entrance.

  When they reached the far back, they gave the signal to pause as the two looked above. Tempest could see the shadow of someone who was walking down the docks to the edge. The steady stream of liquid was enough of a clue to indicate what the man was doing.

  Brutus and Killer made a couple of hand signals and positioned themselves near the edge of the dock. The pair leaned up out of the water for a few moments, checking in opposite directions after waiting for the man to finish his business. With a smiling confirmation, Brutus dove as far as he could before launching himself up in the air.

  The only thing Tempest could see was Brutus’ shadow reach the man. There was no scream or shout, only a thud followed by a flow of blood that dripped through the space between the dock’s boards. That was the signal for everyone to get out of the water.

  Once Tempest climbed out of the water, he half expected to see pieces of a corpse. All that remained was a bloodied dock, and a bloodied smile on Brutus’ face. Once Killer was out of the water, he slugged Brutus in the shoulder.

  “Hey, what was that for?” Brutus asked, wiping his large mouth with the rear of his hand.

  “For not sharing,” Killer replied.

  “I’ll make sure to save you a leg next time.” The two chuckled as the group made their way toward a stone doorway blocked by an iron gate. Captain Helmrunner reached for the handle only to find it locked.

  “The doors locked, there’s got to be a key somewhere.” As the Captain finished her words, everyone turned and stared at Brutus.

  “What?”

  Killer smacked him another one. “You idiot, that guard probably had the key on him.”

  “Don’t yell at me! You had the exact same idea!”

  “Yeah, but you were the one who actually did it!”

  Captain Helmrunner shushed the two as their tones became increasingly loud. Ella took a step forward, slipped one vial off of her vest and poured the contents into the keyhole. The iron sizzled as the acid ate away at the lock’s interior assembly. After a few seconds, the iron door swung open with no restriction.

  “Great job!” Tempest whispered as he stepped in front of Ella. Before he could continue on, Captain Helmrunner tapped him on the shoulder.

  “I’m heading back to the ship. Brutus and Killer will stay here to watch the exit. When you are ready for us, send out the signal and we’ll haul ass.” Tempest smiled and nodded before heading deep into the long stone hallways. The hallway eventually led to a three-way split, at which point Tempest t
urned around and shrugged. Saïgra held up her finger, and he watched as she planted her roots into the ground. Tempest watched Saïgra’s relaxed expression quickly changed as she gritted her teeth and pulled her head away. In less than a minute, her roots pulled back into her feet and she leaned toward the group.

  “I think we should go right,” she whispered.

  “Why right?” Tempest asked. “What’s wrong?”

  “Left goes towards some doors that look like storage, straight continues on out into an opening, and right leads towards more rooms and a stairwell. Down the stairwell leads toward a hallway with an iron door blocking it off. Beyond the door are cages, and there’s someone in there.”

  Tempest eyes lit up at the revelation. “Come on, we have to go!” Tempest quietly shouted. Before he could take off, Saïgra grabbed onto the side of his shirt.

  “Tempest, wait! There is a guard down there. We have to do this correctly.”

  Tempest jerked his arm away and crept down the hallway. It took all of his self-control not to sprint toward the stairwell and blast the doors down. His swordstaff groaned as his grip tightened around the metal. The stairwell only descended one floor before opening up to the hallway, just like Saïgra said.

  Tempest pressed his body close to the wall as he slowly peeked around the corner. A satyr man dressed in dark robes with the Cessation symbol on the front was sitting in a chair. His body slumped forward and the sounds of snoring echoed back toward Tempest’s position. Tempest saw a perfect opportunity for his new daggers.

  He slipped one out of his bandolier, sidestepped and then used his force magic to guide the blade. Outside of a small thump of the steel digging into the man’s brain matter, someone looking at the man from the opposite side would never have had any clue what had just happened. He turned toward Ella and Saïgra, waving them to follow him as he shuffled to the iron gate.