《The Vesper》


 Chapter 1

    They worked in darkness, grunting and straining as they wrestled a large wooden crate past a collapsed beam. Once it was free, one of the men tugged on the rope that was secured to the crate¡¯s handles. It only took a moment for the rope to go taut, and the crate screeched in protest as it was hauled across the hold, leaving deep gouges in the hardwood deck. The sailors pushed with all their might from the other end, helping the heavy crate along.


    It was a balmy tropical nigh and their bodies were covered in a sheen of sweat that glistened in the moonlight. Once the crate was under a large open hatch, one of the men barked a warning to the crane¡¯s operators, and the rope went slack again. They took a moment to rest their aching muscles. For a moment, they heard only the sounds of their ragged breathing and the lapping of waves outside.


    Duglin Garsop didn¡¯t know it was possible to be this tired. His back ached, and his muscles were numb. He was a scrawny boy of fourteen and this was his first time at sea. He had joined the crew as a means to escape the poverty that plagued his hometown, and this was his crew¡¯s first job since he signed on a month ago. As harsh as his training had been, it had done little to prepare the day¡¯s labours.


    Their toil had begun at midday, and they had worked with few breaks to move these mysterious wooden crates out of this derelict¡¯s hold. None of them knew what their contents were, but they were large, almost twice as long as Duglin was tall, and they were heavy. The labour was backbreaking, and everyone was exhausted, but none of the others had uttered so much as a word of complaint, so Duglin had kept his mouth shut.


    A moment¡¯s respite was all they had before, a tall, muscular untied the rope and restrung it so that it could be lifted vertically out of the hold. Duglin watched him as he worked by the light of the moon and caught a glimpse of the deep, ugly scar on the man¡¯s cheek. The man caught him staring and gave Duglin a murderous look.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ Nothing,¡± Duglin stammered.


    Bardrick Haranon was the ship¡¯s carpenter and had a foul temper. Duglin learned early on that he was quick to anger. Duglin had heard stories of the brutality of discipline at sea, and though he hadn¡¯t suffered any physical punishment yet, he was sure he wouldn¡¯t survive a beating from this bear of a man.


    ¡°Bardrick,¡± Fultern Rinwick whispered. He was a wiry man with hawk like eyes. He carried a rapier at his hip and was the only armed member of their three man party.


    The large man looked up to see a rope being lowered through the open hatch. He took it up and expertly secured it to the crate. Once this was done, he tugged on the rope three times and gestured to the others.


    ¡°Come on, two more after this and we¡¯re done,¡± he urged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what the rush is,¡± Duglin blurted and regretted his loose lips when Bardrick shot him a baleful look.


    ¡°We¡¯re behind schedule thanks to the Captain¡¯s boneheaded decision to have the ship careened before shipping out,¡± Bardrick spat. ¡°We need to get this done tonight, so get a move on.¡±


    Duglin bowed his head and followed the other two up the rope ladder into the fresh, salty air up on deck. Fultern remained at the hatch while the other two picked their way past the skeletal remains that lay slumped across the deck. They were aboard the Darvian Finch, a hundred ton caravel that had run aground on an uncharted rocky outcropping. Her mast had collapsed and been carried away by the sea, and her crew had starved to death long ago. Their remains were a sobering reminder of how dangerous the life of a sailor could be.


    Duglin felt much better as he crossed the gangplank from the ship of the dead onto their own vessel, the Vesper. She was a sixty foot long sloop, and she was riding lower in the water than usual, weighed down by her cargo. Her normally sleek lines were modified by wooden panels that were installed along her hull, and she was rigged so that she looked like one of the many coastal trading ships that plied these waters.


    ¡°Will we be able to take three more crates without sinking?¡± Duglin wondered out loud.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be pushing her limit,¡± a woman¡¯s voice sang cheerfully from the quarterdeck. ¡°But our girl will be fine so long as we don¡¯t encounter rough seas.¡±


    Raimala el Tiaman was a lithe woman from the distant lands across the Western Ocean. Her hair and skin were dark, but her teeth were brilliant white. By the Captain¡¯s order, no lights had been lit, and as she lurked in the shadows of the quarterdeck, she looked like a set of floating teeth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to work,¡± Bardrick growled as he took his position at the huge winch that was just forward of the Vesper¡¯s mast.


    Duglin staggered over to the winch and on command, put his back into it together with the rest of the crew. Slowly, the crate rose out of the hold, guided by Fultern¡¯s steady hand.


    ¡°Ship on the horizon, north by north east!¡± the woman on the quarterdeck warned as she lowered her spyglass. ¡°She¡¯s flying Imperial colours!¡±


    Duglin¡¯s hackles rose as he looked out to sea. Sure enough, a ship had appeared on the horizon. She was a sleek two masted frigate, and her running lights twinkled ominously in the distance.


    ¡°What is the Imperial Navy doing all the way out here?¡± Bardrick growled.


    ¡°Back to work, everyone,¡± an imperious voice ordered. It belonged to Inder Fley, the first mate. He was a squat, powerfully built man in his middle years. He had a head of jet black hair that was streaked with white. ¡°Pilot, let us know if she turns towards us.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir,¡± the woman on the quarterdeck replied, her good cheer gone.


    Soon, the crate was clear of the hold. The winch was locked, and the crew sprang into action to swing the crane¡¯s arm around until it was over the Vesper¡¯s hold. As they were about to lower the crate, another urgent whisper came from the quarterdeck.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°She¡¯s coming for us.¡±


    Everyone froze. Then, a quiet voice spoke. ¡°Finish the loading. Inder, tell Fultern to light the fuse. Make it ten minutes and then prepare us for immediate departure.¡±


    ¡°What about the rest of the crates?¡± Bardrick protested.


    ¡°The Captain has spoken!¡± Inder hissed as he rushed up to the bear of a man who stood almost a head taller than the first mate.


    ¡°We leave them behind,¡± Firch Seager replied calmly. He was a slight young man who was only a few years older than Duglin. The Captain of the Vesper wore a light linen shirt that was buttoned up to the top button and a deep blue tricorne hat. While the other men often stripped themselves to the waist when working in the tropical heat, Duglin had never seen his Captain out of long sleeves.


    ¡°These aren¡¯t Imperial waters,¡± Bardrick pointed out. ¡°They have no authority here.¡±


    ¡°You can explain that to them if you¡¯d like,¡± Firch remarked. ¡°But I don¡¯t plan on sticking around.¡±


    Bardrick didn¡¯t back down. ¡°What about our contract?¡±


    ¡°The agreement was that we will make our best effort,¡± Firch replied calmly. However, Duglin saw the Captain¡¯s knuckles whiten around the hilt of the cutlass at his hip.


    Bardrick¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°Thuley agreed to that?¡±


    ¡°Ergon wouldn¡¯t ratify the contract otherwise,¡± Inder said hotly. ¡°Your Captain is no fool, now get to work!¡±


    At length, Bardrick¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°This¡¯ll affect our pay.¡± He sniffed.


    ¡°We won¡¯t get paid at all if we get caught,¡± Inder pointed out before rushing to the gangplank to relay the orders to Fultern.


    Soon, the crate was safely in the Vesper¡¯s hold and her crew scrambled to make her ready to sail. Meanwhile, the Imperial ship was drawing closer. Once the lines connecting them to the wreck were severed, Inder turned to the Captain.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready for departure,¡± he announced.


    ¡°Raimala, we¡¯ll run south.¡± the Captain ordered. ¡°We¡¯ll lose them in the Maw.¡±


    The pilot turned pale before consulting her map. ¡°We¡¯re heavily laden and with our sails set the way they are, we might not be able to¡­¡±


    ¡°Just plot our course,¡± Firch ordered.


    ¡°But¡­¡± she began.


    ¡°The Captain has given you an order,¡± Inder reminded her softly.


    The pilot looked at him for a moment before shrugging. ¡°Aye, Skip.¡±


    ¡°Pilot, get us up to speed,¡± the Captain ordered. ¡°With all possible haste. You have the con.¡±


    Bardrick clicked his tongue irritably upon hearing the Captain¡¯s orders. He made it no secret that he thought that women had no place crewing a ship. They were to be tolerated as passengers and even then, rarely. That was a commonly held belief in these waters, and Duglin quickly learned after signing on that Firch Seager had a reputation as a young upstart who had little respect for the traditions of the sea.


    ¡°Aye, Skip!¡± Raimala sang, cheerful again now that they were underway. She checked the wind and began barking orders. ¡°Raise the headsail, standby on the mainsail. Helm, make your heading two one zero!¡±


    Duglin worked with Bardrick to unfurl the headsail, which quickly caught the wind. It caught the wind with a snap and the timbers under their feet shuddered and groaned as the ship began to move. Tash Ditern, the well built helmswoman grunted as she turned the wheel, and ever so slowly, the Vesper began to turn.


    ¡°Raise the mainsail!¡± the pilot ordered.


    Once the mainsail was raised, Duglin braced himself against the gunwale against the expected lurch as the Vesper picked up speed, but it didn¡¯t come. The ship accelerated much slower than usual, and Darlin glanced worriedly at the Captain, who stood on the quarterdeck with his arms folded across his chest, looking like he hadn¡¯t a care in the world.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we send the girl to the stern cannon?¡± Bardrick ventured.


    ¡°No,¡± Firch replied. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Can you think of a stupider thing to do?¡± Inder snapped. ¡°Their long guns will outrange us. Besides, that¡¯s a frigate. Our dinky six pounder won¡¯t even scratch her hull.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of going down without a fight,¡± the huge man retorted.


    ¡°There won¡¯t be a fight,¡± the Captain said simply.


    Fultern placed a hand on Bardrick¡¯s shoulder and spoke softly. ¡°The Captain knows what he¡¯s doing, lad.¡±


    After an excruciatingly long time, the Vesper was up to speed. The pursuing vessel was no longer getting closer.


    ¡°They¡¯re a good two thousand yards away,¡± Inder called loudly from his place at the foot of the quarterdeck. ¡°Just out of cannon range. Well done, pilot.¡±


    Duglin breathed a sigh of relief but noticed that though their pursuers were not getting any closer, they weren¡¯t getting any further away, either.


    ¡°If we were rigged properly, we could outrun that tub, no problem,¡± Raimala sighed. ¡°It will be tough to lose them in the Maw when they¡¯re breathing down our necks like that.¡±


    ¡°The Nomad,¡± Inder grunted as he studied the pursuing ship through his spyglass. ¡°Odd name for an Imperial vessel.¡±


    As soon as she spoke, a loud pop came from the wreck. Thinking it was cannon fire, Duglin ducked. As he did, he saw a red flare arc into the sky before exploding high overhead. The boy leapt to his feet to see that the wreck was now ablaze.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see if they take the bait,¡± Fultern breathed. A red flare was the universal signal of a ship in distress.


    ¡°What happens if they don¡¯t?¡± Duglin asked.


    A faint smile crossed the wiry man¡¯s face. ¡°Then things get interesting.¡±


    ¡°I would rather they didn¡¯t if it¡¯s all the same to you,¡± the Captain remarked as he pulled out his spyglass and trained it on the Imperial ship.


    ¡°They¡¯d have to be idiots to take bait that obvious,¡± Bardrick groused.


    ¡°Care to bet on that?¡± Inder ventured as he extended his hand towards Bardrick. ¡°One percent of the takings.¡±


    The muscular man scowled and shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s too rich for my blood.¡±


    ¡°A shame,¡± Inder shrugged. He looked over his shoulder and shook his head. ¡°Look, they¡¯re dropping their sails and heaving to.¡±


    Duglin breathed a sigh of relief as the vessel veered sharply towards the wreck.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Bardrick muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s a simple calculation,¡± Inder said. ¡°They would rather save lives than attempt to prosecute us in waters they don¡¯t have jurisdiction over.¡±


    ¡°That is uncharacteristically noble of them,¡± Fultern remarked. ¡°Has the Empire changed since we¡¯ve been away?¡±


    ¡°No, they haven¡¯t,¡± Inder said, shaking his head. ¡°An Imperial ship in these waters means that they are making overtures to incorporate this territory. They will want to win hearts and minds and once a treaty is signed, they will show their true colours.¡±


    ¡°What should we do now, Skip?¡± Raimala asked. ¡°Do we still make for the Maw?¡±


    Firch looked thoughtfully at the imperial vessel for a moment before nodding. ¡°We¡¯ll see how long it takes for them to realize there¡¯s no one to save on that wreck before making that decision.¡±


    They continued watching the ship until it disappeared over the horizon around an hour later. Just as tension on the deck eased, Duglin felt the hairs on his neck stand on end. He looked up to see the Captain and his first mate giving one another a concerned look.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Raimala asked.


    ¡°Nothing to worry about,¡± Inder said quickly.


    ¡°The Imperials will no longer pursue us,¡± the Captain declared. Bring in the panels. Pilot, set a course for Avarice as soon as we are out of sight.¡±


    ¡°Say, shouldn¡¯t we check the cargo?¡± Bardrick ventured. ¡°You know, see what it is we¡¯re carrying before we return to port?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Firch replied.


    ¡°Whatever it is we¡¯re carrying, we¡¯re better off not knowing,¡± the first mate added. ¡°Better for everyone that way.¡±


    ¡°You never know, we might be underpaid for what we just took,¡± Bardrick remarked.


    ¡°Ergon would not have accepted the contract if that were the case,¡± Inder pointed out.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re no longer pretending we aren¡¯t us, can we rerig her as well, Skip?¡± Raimala asked hopefully.


    ¡°Yes, I want all possible speed,¡± the Captain ordered. ¡°Tash, I¡¯m going to need you to remove the tarp from our stern and replace the figurehead. We don¡¯t want to sail into port looking like we have anything to hide.¡±

 Chapter 2

    It was a clear day, and a stiff breeze was blowing in from astern. The sea sparkled under the midday sun, and the swells were low. Despite being heavily laden, the Vesper was in her element as she ran before the wind.


    On her upper deck, the Vesper¡¯s crew was in good spirits. There had been no sign of their pursuers in the night, and even the most pessimistic among them had begun to relax as they broke off into their respective cliques.


    The women, Raimala the pilot, Tash the helmswoman, and Marsel Hing, the sailmaker, were gathered on the quarterdeck, talking amongst themselves as they tended to their respective tasks. Elran El Tiarnan, Raimala¡¯s brother and the ship¡¯s doctor, sat nearby, grinding herbs in a mortar. He sported a thick, black beard and was the only man on the crew who wasn¡¯t cleanshaven.


    On most ships, the quarterdeck was the domain of officers only, but Firch was not one for tradition, much to the consternation of Bardrick, who glanced at them and muttered under his breath every so often while he worked on a section of decking that had come loose the previous day. Duglin, meanwhile, was scrubbing the deck with a worn brush close to the quarterdeck.


    ¡°Marsel, could you see if you can scrounge anything from the pantry?¡± he heard Tash ask. ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡±


    ¡°We finished the last crumb yesterday,¡± came the tired answer. Marsel was a lithe young woman whose red hair came down to her shoulder. She was the best shot on the ship with a rifle or cannon and was the quickest up the mast. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be had until we pull into port.¡±


    ¡°And how long will that take?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Palm Cove off our port bow, so around another four hours if the wind and currents are favourable,¡± came Raimala¡¯s reply.


    ¡°That¡¯s so lonnnggg,¡± Tash groaned. ¡°I¡¯ll never make it.¡±


    ¡°This is why women have no place on ships,¡± Bardrick growled. ¡°I¡¯ve been on voyages where we went weeks without proper food. They¡¯d give a man the lash if they heard them complain about being hungry after less than a day.¡±


    ¡°Well, thankfully, our Captain¡¯s no barbarian,¡± Marsel remarked.


    ¡°You call it barbaric,¡± Bardrick snorted. ¡°But a soft Captain doesn¡¯t last long. Life at sea¡¯s tough and without discipline, a ship won¡¯t survive. I only hope the Captain realizes that before it¡¯s too late.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve been beating that drum for months now, Bardrick Haranon,¡± Tash scoffed. ¡°Everything¡¯s been fine. Perhaps men need beatings for every little thing to stay in line, but not us women.¡±


    Duglin winced when he saw Bardrick¡¯s face turn a deep crimson. The huge man slowly got to his feet and approached the quarterdeck, holding his hammer menacingly. Seeing this, Tash planted herself at the top of the stairs with a club in her hand. Duglin scrambled out of the way and looked around frantically for anyone who could step in and defuse the situation. Though Tash was impressively built for a woman, she was still dwarfed by Bardrick, and Duglin didn¡¯t think much of her chances should they come to blows.


    The boy looked over to Fultern, who was up on the prow, acting as lookout, and he seemed more interested in the sea ahead than the developments behind him. Besides, he was too far away to intervene.


    ¡°There will be no lashings or physical punishment of any sort so long as I am master,¡± a quiet voice said. ¡°My crew are people, not savages who need pain and violence to be kept in line.¡±


    Bardrick turned around to see the Captain standing at the hatch that led belowdecks. His eyes were red rimmed but alert and focused the bear of a man. The Captain hadn¡¯t slept since they found the wreck while the others had napped in turns through the previous night. ¡°I thought I made that clear to you when you signed on, Bardrick.¡±


    ¡°You did, Captain, but¡­¡±


    ¡°However,¡± Firch continued. ¡°If a fight ever breaks out, I will leave the instigator marooned on the nearest island, is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Captain, letting women onto a ship is asking for trouble,¡± Bardrick began and was silenced by a cold look. He was standing less than five feet from the Captain and towered over him, and Duglin was stunned by the fear in the bigger man¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°There were plenty who told me the same about you,¡± he replied icily.


    The colour drained from the huge man¡¯s face, and he backed away from the stairs. ¡°And I¡¯m grateful you took me in despite my brand, don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m just trying to protect you from¡­¡±


    ¡°If I ever think I need your protection, I¡¯ll be sure to ask,¡± Firch said. ¡°But let me make one thing clear. If I ever catch you so much as threaten a crewmate, I will leave you beached. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Is that clear?¡± he repeated softly when Bardrick didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°Aye Captain,¡± he conceded at length.


    ¡°Good,¡± Firch nodded. ¡°Now, Inder needs help in the bilges. Go and give him a hand, will you?¡±


    ¡°Aye Captain.¡±


    Firch stepped aside to allow Bardrick to flee below decks. When he was gone, Duglin realized he had been holding his breath and exhaled.


    ¡°Our hero,¡± Marsel laughed.


    ¡°Raimala, I heard we¡¯re four hours out?¡± Firch asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Skip,¡± the pilot replied. ¡°Conditions permitting, of course.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Any chance you can squeeze a little more speed out of her, get there a little quicker?¡±


    The pilot¡¯s button nose scrunched up as she looked up at the sails and frowned. ¡°Our canvas is a little worn¡­¡±


    ¡°And the spare?¡±


    Raimala glanced at Marsel, who shook her head. ¡°In worse condition than this, Captain. I did recommend changing it almost six months ago, but you said¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of what I said,¡± Firch sighed. Now that the situation was defused, the Captain¡¯s shoulders sagged, and his head drooped making him look weary. Very weary. ¡°We have priorities.¡±


    The pilot arched an eyebrow. ¡°You chose to careen her instead of buying new canvas.¡±


    ¡°You saw the state of the hull,¡± Firch protested. ¡°Besides, now she glides like a dolphin, skipping over the waves.¡±


    ¡°Is there a reason for the rush, Captain?¡± Tash, the helmswoman asked.


    Firch shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m just eager to get paid. Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t relate.¡±


    Tash smiled, but Duglin could tell that it was forced. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m going to eat myself into a food coma when I get ashore.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t count your chickens,¡± Firch warned. ¡°The first thing we need to do is pay Darnall off.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we do, don¡¯t we?¡± Tash frowned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, we need new canvas and lines too,¡± Marsel added.


    ¡°Well, hopefully, there will be something left over for us,¡± Tash sniffed.


    ¡°There will be,¡± Firch promised. ¡°Enough to tide us through to the next season if Thuley holds up his end of the bargain.¡±


    ¡°Will the crates we left behind be a problem, Skip?¡± Raimala ventured.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope not,¡± Firch shrugged. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll be in my quarters. Let me know when we pass the Beetle.¡±


    ¡°Will do, Skip,¡± Raimala said as the Captain entered his cabin, which was under the quarterdeck. Once he was inside, the pilot turned to Duglin and beamed. ¡°So, your first payday. What are you going to buy?¡±


    Now that he was suddenly the centre of attention, the boy froze like a startled deer. The women smiled impishly as they stared at him, and at length, he regained enough wits to answer.


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll send most of it back to my parents. The last three crops have failed in my village, and they need the money badly.¡±


    ¡°Aw, isn¡¯t that sweet?¡± Raimala laughed, and Duglin felt his blood rush to his face when Tash joined in.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing the same,¡± Marsel said softly.


    ¡°You will have to forgive my sister,¡± Elran, the doctor said as he walked up to them. He was a sharp featured, handsome young man. The siblings bore a striking similarity to one another that looked uncanny when they stood side by side. ¡°We are from an affluent family, and she knows little of the plight of the common people.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d have to be to travel across the Western Ocean just to chart this part of the world,¡± Tash remarked. ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up, though, Raimala. My parents threw a fit when I told them I wasn¡¯t going to marry the man they sold me off to and cast me out, so I¡¯m spending all my money on me.¡±


    ¡°Say, doctor,¡± the burly woman continued. ¡°Is that salve of yours ready? My back is killing me.¡±


    ¡°Why, yes, it is,¡± he said, holding up the mortar. ¡°Would you like to apply it now?¡±


    ¡°Marsel can do it for me when she¡¯s finished mending that line,¡± she replied.


    The doctor nodded and frowned down at the mortar. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we are low on medicinal herbs as well, but I didn¡¯t want to pile on the misery.¡±


    ¡°Your family is rich,¡± Marsel said with an impish grin. ¡°Can¡¯t you just buy them with your lavish fortune?¡±


    ¡°As you are well aware, we spent all our money on the voyage out,¡± Elran replied.


    ¡°Then couldn¡¯t you send home for more?¡± Tash ventured hopefully.


    The doctor sighed and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid our family isn¡¯t rich enough to send silver half way across the world with any expectation that it would arrive in our hands.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough gum flapping,¡± Inder barked as he appeared from below decks. ¡°Look lively, we¡¯re in a shipping lane.¡±


    ¡°The closest other vessel is four hundred yards away,¡± Raimala remarked as she pointed at the eighty foot long brigantine off their port bow that they were quickly coming up upon. ¡°Besides, Fultern is on watch.¡±


    ¡°All the same, let¡¯s keep things professional,¡± he replied while the others quickly returned to their duties. ¡°We¡¯ve been at sea a month now. It won¡¯t be funny if any mishap occurs because we were careless within sight of port.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir,¡± Raimala said before saluting jauntily.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Gilded Pony,¡± Fultern called as the brigantine drew nearer. ¡°They are hailing us. Shall I summon the Captain?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what old Rumlow wants first,¡± Inder replied as he made his way over to the prow. ¡°Let¡¯s drop some sail and settle in alongside.¡±


    ¡°Hey Duglin,¡± Marsel said as she came running down from the quarterdeck. ¡°I think the deck over by the bow is a little dirty. Why don¡¯t you go clean it up?¡±


    ¡°And update us on the latest news,¡± Tash added.


    ¡°Yes, that was implied,¡± Marsel frowned. ¡°He¡¯s not a simpleton.¡±


    ¡°You can never be too sure when it comes to smooth hands,¡± Tash shot back.


    ¡°Save the flirting for the bunk, you two,¡± Raimala said. ¡°And you, boy. Run along before you miss anything important.¡±


    Obediently, Duglin picked his bucket and his brush up before shadowing the first mate over to the prow. While he did, Marsel and Tash dropped the mainsail while Raimala took over the helm.


    ¡°Ahoy there, Vesper!¡± a voice called as the Raimala brought the Vesper¡¯s prow alongside the Pony¡¯s stern.


    ¡°Ahoy, Rumlow!¡± Inder called back. ¡°What¡¯s the news?¡±


    ¡°Just a warning, Inder,¡± the master of the Gilded Pony answered. ¡°The Empire showed up not long after you lot weighed anchor. Word is the governor has asked for their protection. They hadn¡¯t setup customs yet when I left last week, but all the same, I hope you don¡¯t have any contraband on board.¡±


    ¡°Well, that explains the Imperial frigate,¡± Duglin heard Inder say softly to Fultern. The first mate then raised his voice. ¡°We don¡¯t, but what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to kiss the Ardenpool route goodbye,¡± Rumlow said ruefully. ¡°Well, here¡¯s hoping the deal to incorporate Avarice into the Empire goes tits up.¡±


    ¡°Knowing the governor, there¡¯s a good chance of that,¡± Inder remarked.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure,¡± Fultern offered. ¡°The Empire can be very accommodating when courting new lands.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Inder,¡± Rumlow called. ¡°At full sail, you lot will pull into port at least three hours before mine. Would appreciate a little warning if there¡¯s trouble.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± the Vesper¡¯s first mate replied. ¡°I appreciate the heads up.¡±


    He then turned to shout over his shoulder. ¡°Full sail ahead. I want best speed to Avarice.¡±


    ¡°Full speed ahead, aye!¡± the girls sang.


    The sails were raised, and the Vesper began to accelerate.


    ¡°Fair winds and following seas, Rumlow!¡± Inder called out as the Vesper pulled ahead.


    ¡°Let us know if there¡¯s trouble, you hear?¡± came the reply.


    ¡°Should we inform the Captain?¡± Fultern ventured.


    Inder shook his head. ¡°The Captain anticipated this development.¡±


    ¡°Did he now?¡± the wiry man sounded surprised.


    ¡°He¡¯s as canny as they come. Sometimes I think that boy is part witch,¡± Inder remarked, sounding impressed.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised to hear those words come out of a superstitious man such as yourself, Mister Inder,¡± Fultern observed.


    ¡°A lapse,¡± Inder said good naturedly. ¡°I trust you will keep it to yourself.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    Duglin bowed his head and scrubbed vigorously when he saw Inder coming down from the prow. The man¡¯s bare feet came to a stop inches from his nose, and Duglin knew he was caught. He raised his head and knew he looked as guilty as sin.


    ¡°They told me to scrub the deck over here,¡± he offered feebly.


    ¡°If I catch you eavesdropping again, I¡¯ll have you clean out the bilges with your tongue,¡± the first mate growled. He glared at the boy for a good long while to make his point before shaking his head. ¡°Go on, tell the others what you heard. It will save me the bother.¡±

 Chapter 3

    The Beetle was a large rock formation that bore a passing resemblance to the insect, and it marked the entrance to the freeport of Avarice. As though sensing something was amiss, the Captain emerged from his cabin and onto the quarterdeck before it was sighted where his first mate brought him up to speed.


    ¡°Last chance to turn around,¡± Raimala breathed as the rocks loomed large off the Vesper¡¯s port bow. It was evening, and up ahead, it appeared as though the sun was sinking into the sea.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t done anything wrong,¡± Firch replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s never stopped the Imperial Navy from stringing people up,¡± Tash remarked.


    ¡°No doubt about that, and we will avoid them if we can,¡± the Captain shrugged. ¡°But if they ask, we¡¯re just a crew of honest merchants, coming back from a legitimate salvage job, so the lot of you need to stop looking like you¡¯ve done something wrong.¡±


    ¡°You heard the Captain,¡± Inder snarled. ¡°Get to work, we¡¯ll be in port soon and we don¡¯t want the Imperial Navy to discover that this ship is crewed by the laziest sods this side of the Western Ocean.¡±


    ¡°Might not be such a bad thing,¡± Bardrick remarked as he leaned over a gunwale. ¡°They¡¯re a long way from home and might need to replace crew. Don¡¯t want to be pressed now, do we?¡±


    The first mate¡¯s face turned red with rage. ¡°You¡¯ll be docked half your earnings the next time you talk back to me or the Captain.¡±


    Bardrick shook his head and made his way over to the anchor locker at the prow. On the quarterdeck, Tash spun the wheel as the Vesper passed the Beetle, and the freeport of Avarice came into view.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a sight for sore eyes?¡± Marsel breathed.


    Located in a vast deepwater bay that could provide safe anchorage for hundreds of ships from the storms that often swept out of the south and west, Avarice had once been a quiet fishing village. When silver and valuable spices were discovered in the nearby islands, the bay quickly became one of the Viridian Sea¡¯s most important ports, a place where sailors congregated before setting out in search of fortune or adventure.


    Numerous wooden jetties extended from the rocky beach out into the deep waters of the bay. The factories, warehouses, and workshops that serviced the ships were built close to the shore. On the northern end of the bay, a pair of ships had been beached and now lay on their sides while teams of workers scraped barnacles and other marine growth from her hull.


    Further inland, the village that was once known as New Thirlind had grown into the burgeoning town of Avarice that now covered the entire width of the bay. Buildings sprouted up haphazardly next to one another. Vast mansions of brick and stone sporting frescoed walls stood shoulder to shoulder with dilapidated wooden shacks. Up on a cliff overlooking the bay was the governor¡¯s mansion. He had come from a family of humble local fishermen to become the governor of the richest port south of Darvigan.


    However, despite having spent a month away, the port wasn¡¯t what caught Duglin¡¯s eye. Instead, the boy was staring at a huge three masted brig that was moored close to the harbour¡¯s mouth. A crimson flag fluttered proudly from the top of her mainmast. It was emblazoned with a gold eagle in flight, the emblem of the Huldarian Empire. Her name was the Darvigan Spirit, and she was using her crane to position a strange pyramidal structure on a pylon that rose from the sea. The structure was made from some sort of polished metal and measured six meters across at the base and four tall.


    ¡°What on earth is that?¡± the boy breathed.


    ¡°Trouble, that¡¯s what,¡± Inder breathed when he saw it.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t see one in Darvigan when last we were there,¡± Firch observed.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t make sense for Avarice to get one before them,¡± Inder remarked.


    ¡°What is it, though?¡± Marsel ventured. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it before.¡±


    Now, all the crew were staring at the strange contraption as it was lowered onto the platform. It was topped by a white crystal the size of a man¡¯s fist that gave Duglin a sense of unease when he looked at it directly.


    ¡°Say your goodbyes once we dock, ladies and gentlemen,¡± Firch said. ¡°I don¡¯t expect we¡¯ll be coming back anytime soon once our business is done.¡±


    ¡°But Skip,¡± Raimala began.


    ¡°No, the Captain¡¯s right,¡± Tash warned. ¡°The Empire is trouble and so are those devices.¡±


    As though on cue, a frigate came charging out of the harbour at full sail flying the Imperial Eagle. She was sleek, just under a hundred feet long and painted black with lines of gold. Cannons gleamed from their gunports and her decks were lined with sailors wearing white shirts, white hats and black trousers. Among them were the officers, wearing elaborate hats and crimson jackets despite the tropical heat. The name Relentless was written proudly on her prow and her figurehead was an armoured woman armed with a sword and shield.


    ¡°Drop sails, and make sure your hands are visible,¡± Firch ordered.


    ¡°You heard the Captain!¡± Inder hissed. ¡°Don¡¯t want them getting the wrong idea about us.¡±


    ¡°Or the right one,¡± Raimala muttered.


    The first mate then turned to the Captain. ¡°Think they know?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way that other Imperial ship outran us back here,¡± Raimala protested.


    ¡°No, they didn¡¯t,¡± Firch agreed.


    ¡°Avast there, Vesper!¡± came a voice over a loudspeaker as the Relentless came to a stop abeam of the Vesper. ¡°State your business!¡±


    ¡°Good evening, Relentless,¡± Firch called back good naturedly as the gunners on board the larger vessel trained their guns on his ship. ¡°We are just traders, on our way back from the Bathries with a cargo of iron in our holds.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to the dock agent,¡± came the curt reply. ¡°You are not to come within a thousand yards of the Spirit, or we will blow you out of the water.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Relentless,¡± Firch replied.


    He then turned to Inder and shrugged. ¡°Friendly people, the Imperial Navy. One wonders why they aren¡¯t well liked in these waters.¡±


    ¡°One of the mysteries of the world, Captain,¡± Inder replied dryly.


    The Captain smirked before turning to Raimala. ¡°Get us under way, as far from that hulk as you can.¡±


    ¡°With pleasure, Skip,¡± the pilot replied.


    ¡°Doctor?¡± Firch called.


    ¡°Yes?¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Could you go below decks and forge a cargo manifest of a hundred tons of iron from the Bathries?¡± he asked.


    Elran nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Good, get to it,¡± the Captain ordered before turning to Inder. ¡°See? I told you it was worthwhile to buy that forged seal.¡±


    As they pulled into port, they found only a handful of vessels, none larger than a hundred tons moored to the piers. They were in the low season, which meant that most of the larger vessels that called the Viridian Sea home were off riding the trade winds as they transported goods across the Western Ocean. Those that remained were either not capable of making the arduous voyage or were unable to tap into that lucrative market and only had odd jobs to perform until the great ships returned, heavily laden with exotic goods they could help distribute across the many islands of the Viridian Sea.


    ¡°This sure is a lonely place at this time of the year,¡± Raimala remarked as she guided the Vesper into an open berth.


    Inder barked orders as the Vesper approached the pier, mostly at Duglin. The others had performed this dance many times before and could complete their roles with their eyes closed.


    ¡°How is the lad?¡± Firch asked as the boy hastily tossed bumpers over the gunwale.


    Inder snorted. ¡°A damn sight better than you were when we first set out, I can tell you that.¡±


    A wry smile crossed the Captain¡¯s lips. ¡°Ah, good times. I have fond memories.¡±


    The first mate arched an eyebrow as he gave his Captain an incredulous look. ¡°Were they? Perhaps one of us is misremembering your first time out.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just getting nostalgic in my old age, Inder,¡± Firch said as he pulled his tricorne hat off and ran a hand through his short brown hair.


    Inder shook his head. ¡°If you¡¯re old, what does that make me?¡±


    ¡°A decrepit old man, Inder,¡± Firch laughed as he clapped his first mate on the shoulder. ¡°A decrepit old man.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose I can¡¯t argue with that,¡± Inder grunted.


    Soon, lines were tied, the sails were furled, and the Vesper was safely docked. Inder and Firch double checked that everything was secure before gathering the crew before the quarterdeck. However, before the Captain could speak, a slender man sporting a smart black coat began climbing the gangplank followed by half a dozen soldiers armed with muskets and wearing smart, deep blue long coats.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall giving you permission to come aboard, Sir,¡± Firch said sharply as Fultern positioned himself at the head of the gangway, blocking off access to the ship.


    The man came to an abrupt halt when Fultern would not make way for him and frowned at Firch. ¡°Are you the Master of this vessel?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Firch nodded. ¡°And who might you be?¡±


    ¡°Imperial Port Agent,¡± came the haughty reply.


    Firch arched an eyebrow. ¡°I was not aware I was sailing into an Imperial Port.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t, yet.¡± The man said. ¡°But it soon will be, and as you know, there will be a retroactive tax going back six months once the paperwork is signed. I was just giving you the opportunity to get a head start on paying your duties.¡±


    Inder cursed under his breath, but Firch managed a polite smile. ¡°Thank you for your kind offer, but I will pay when everything is official and not a moment before.¡±


    The man shrugged and held up an official looking document. ¡°As this port is now an Imperial Protectorate, we have the right to demand your ship¡¯s registration and your manifest. Where was your last port of call and what is your cargo?¡±


    Fultern took the document from the man and handed it to Firch, who studied it for a moment before handing it back. ¡°We¡¯re hauling iron in from the Bathries. I can have the paperwork brought up.¡±


    ¡°By the way, Captain,¡± the agent said. ¡°We received word this afternoon of carrion scavenging an Imperial wreck around eighty or so miles south of here.¡±


    Firch raised an eyebrow. ¡°Did you now?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know anything about that, would you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, sir,¡± Firch said, sounding surprised. ¡°As I said, we¡¯ve come in from the Bathries and we¡¯re carrying a shipment of iron, and our route brought us in from the west.¡±


    ¡°Will you permit my men and I on board for a cursory inspection?¡± the man asked. ¡°It could help eliminate you as suspects when we launch an official investigation. I assure you it will be better if you let me search your ship than a magistrate.¡±


    Firch smiled thinly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid my ship¡¯s a bit of a mess at the moment. I simply can¡¯t let anyone see it. I just might die of embarrassment.¡±


    ¡°I will be the head agent of this port, and you would be wise to get in my good graces,¡± the Agent said. ¡°There could be Imperial contracts in it for you.¡±


    ¡°A kind offer, but I¡¯m afraid it really is quite a mess down there, shocking really,¡± Firch said, smiling sweetly. ¡°They say I should flog my men more, but my arm does get tired.¡±


    The agent frowned. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t leave without seeing your papers.¡±


    ¡°And you will. I will send a man to fetch them for you forthwith,¡± Firch said. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not as if we can make a run for it with your mighty warship out in the bay, is it?¡±


    The agent shrugged. ¡°Suit yourself. By the way, if you¡¯ve heard anything about illegal salvage, the commodore is offering a substantial reward for any information¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to let you know the moment I think of anything,¡± Firch replied.


    The agent turned around to leave, and when he and his men cleared the gangplank, a swarthy, barrel chested man stepped out from behind a stack of crates and approached the Vesper.


    ¡°Ahoy there, is this a good time, Seager?¡± he asked.


    ¡°As good a time as any, Darnall,¡± the Captain sighed. ¡°Do you want to come aboard?¡±


    The careener gave the Imperial soldiers a sideways glance before shaking his head. ¡°No, here is fine. I was just coming over to see if you had my payment ready.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve just finished a job and were about to see our client,¡± Firch said. ¡°I¡¯ll send you our first instalment personally as soon as we¡¯re paid.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful,¡± Darnall Bodger began. He paused and licked his lips nervously before continuing. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I can collect full payment tomorrow?¡±


    Firch frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not what our contract says.¡±


    The swarthy man gave the Imperial soldiers another wary look. ¡°Well, the thing is, with the new management in town, I¡¯m closing up shop.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± Firch remarked. ¡°But we have a contract and I¡¯m sticking to it.¡±


    ¡°You realize that if you continue to dally, any Imperial taxes we have to pay will be at your expense?¡± there was a sharp tone to Darnall¡¯s voice now, and the careener¡¯s eyes hardened.


    ¡°I am aware,¡± Firch said.


    ¡°When are you seeing your client?¡± Darnall asked.


    ¡°As I said, right away.¡±


    Darnall nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be back later tonight, then.¡±


    Firch shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    ¡°What on earth is the governor thinking, letting the Empire in?¡± Inder growled as Darnall walked away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Firch replied absently as he watched the careener leave.


    After a moment, Firch turned back to his crew, who were still gathered in front of him, looking at their Captain expectantly.


    ¡°Crew, there has been a change of plans,¡± he began. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving as soon as we get paid and settle our debts.¡±


    Tash was the first to speak. ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised, Captain. Disappointed, but not surprised.¡±


    ¡°Tash, I want you to secure provisions for around a week,¡± Firch said.


    ¡°With what money, Captain?¡± Tash asked. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely anyone will give us anything on credit with them in town.¡±


    ¡°Well, place orders and we¡¯ll pay after we get paid,¡± Firch replied. ¡°Meanwhile, Bardrick and I will go pay Thuley a visit. Tell him his salvage has arrived.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to take Fultern with you?¡± Inder ventured.


    Firch shook his head. ¡°Everyone else is to stay on the ship. My nose tells me there could be trouble brewing.¡±


    Inder grunted. ¡°Never seen Darnall act so polite. He will be back. As for Thuley, normally for a job this big, he¡¯d have his goons waiting for us on the docks as soon as he saw us round the Beetle.¡±


    ¡°But they are nowhere to be seen,¡± Raimala sighed. ¡°Figures. What I don¡¯t understand is how Imperials got word about us before we arrived. There¡¯s no way that ship beat us here.¡±


    ¡°They must have had a witch on board,¡± the Captain said flippantly.


    Raimala¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°I was under the impression that even joking about such things was frowned upon.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, it was just a lapse,¡± Firch began.


    ¡°The Imperial Navy being here has caught us all off balance,¡± Inder added quickly.


    After an awkward silence, Elran spoke. ¡°Captain, our medical provisions are low as well. I would like to¡­¡±


    ¡°We can secure those elsewhere,¡± Firch said. ¡°I want us off this island as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Besides, no merchant will entertain you with that beard of yours, and we need every spare hand here, getting us ready for departure,¡± Inder pointed out.


    Elran rubbed his beard defensively. ¡°It is a sign of manhood amongst my people.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not criticizing your choice, doctor,¡± Firch said. ¡°He¡¯s just laying out the facts of the matter.¡±


    ¡°Say, Captain, are you sure you don¡¯t want to take Fultern with you to see Thuley?¡± Inder pressed. ¡°Nothing about this smells right.¡±


    ¡°No, Bardrick is the better choice,¡± Firch said. ¡°Bardrick¡¯s more intimidating, but Fultern¡¯s handy if a fight actually breaks out.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Bardrick protested.


    ¡°Do you think you can best Fultern in a fight?¡± Inder asked.


    Bardrick shrugged. ¡°Maybe if I get the drop on him.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bet on that,¡± Marsel remarked.


    ¡°Perhaps you should take the boy with you as well,¡± Fultern suggested. ¡°If your read is correct, Captain, the ship could be more dangerous than Thuley¡¯s den.¡±


    Firch thought about it for a moment before shrugging. ¡°You have a point. It¡¯s about time the boy met our client.¡±


    He then grinned at Duglin. ¡°Think you¡¯re up for it?¡±


    The boy bobbed his head eagerly.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± the Captain ordered. ¡°Doctor, fetch the paperwork for our esteemed friend over there, and as for the rest of you, get to work. I¡¯ll feel a lot better once that cargo is off my ship and this island is in our wake.¡±

 Chapter 4

    Dusk began to set in as the sun sank below the horizon. While the areas of town closer to shore were quieter than usual thanks to the presence of the Imperial Navy, further inland, the town was its usual seedy self. Scantily clad, painted women stood at doorways tempting men who had been at sea for weeks to part with their money. The buildings here housed shops that offered various trinkets and wares at outrageously low prices for what was advertised. Most of their goods were counterfeits, passing stainless steel as silver, pyrite as gold, garnets as sapphires¡­ These shops mostly preyed on sailors new to the region and though it was the low season, the merchants were out in full force.


    ¡°It¡¯s like they know their days are numbered,¡± Bardrick muttered after intimidating a pushy salesman into backing off with nothing but a dirty look. ¡°That little rat could at least have his office close to the shore like all the other fixers.¡±


    ¡°Being perched up on the cliff makes him feel fancy,¡± Firch said. ¡°He¡¯s also the first to see when a ship rounds the Beetle up where he is. A lot of wheeling and dealing can be done with that time. It¡¯s part of the reason he¡¯s in the position he is today.¡±


    ¡°King rat in a den of rats,¡± Bardrick spat.


    ¡°Now I know the two of you don¡¯t get along, but I just need you to stand there and look intimidating today, alright?¡± Firch warned. ¡°With the governor signing this rock over to the Empire, all of Thuley¡¯s hard work is going to go up in smoke. That¡¯s going to make him a little ornery.¡±


    Bardrick grunted. ¡°How is that my problem?¡±


    ¡°Upsetting him is going to get in the way of us getting paid,¡± Firch pointed out.


    ¡°The two of you have a contract,¡± Bardrick shrugged.


    ¡°All the same¡­¡± Firch paused when a boy of around six brushed passed him. He caught the boy¡¯s wrist in a vice like grip, and plucked the pouch the boy had lifted from his pocket out of his hand before sending him packing with a stern look.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to recruit him like you did the last one?¡± Bardrick asked mockingly as he shot Duglin a pointed look.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the need for more than one pickpocket on my crew,¡± Firch replied as the boy disappeared into the crowd.


    The young man paused and looked up at the grand mansion that stood at the top of the street. White Heloican style pillars held up a sweeping Dorfinian roof. This was all topped by a covered viewing platform that was manned around the clock. The mansions walled off grounds were sprawling, covering the entire peak of the hill and ensuring that no one but Thuley¡¯s men could spy ships as they approached the Beetle.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been up here,¡± Firch remarked. ¡°I forgot how¡­ unique his house is.¡±


    ¡°An eyesore is what it is,¡± Bardrick snorted, and Duglin found himself nodding in agreement.


    ¡°Now, he¡¯s very proud of what he¡¯s built,¡± Firch said as they walked up to the mansion¡¯s gate. ¡°He¡¯s going to try and rile you up, pick a fight. It¡¯s important you don¡¯t rise to the bait. Just keep your mouths shut and let me do the talking.¡±


    Bardrick¡¯s eyebrows and voice shot up in surprise. ¡°You think he doesn¡¯t want to go through with the deal?¡±


    ¡°The possibility crossed my mind,¡± Firch said before pounding on the solid oak door.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s stopping him from not entertaining us tonight?¡± Bardrick asked.


    ¡°We have a contract,¡± Firch replied simply. ¡°He¡¯s not going to risk a brand by refusing to see us.¡±


    Just then, an eye slit slid open on the gate, revealing a pair of beady eyes. They saw Firch and narrowed. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    ¡°Firch Seager, master of the Vesper,¡± he replied. ¡°Here to see your boss about a job we just finished for him.¡±


    ¡°The boss is sleeping, come back tomorrow,¡± the man replied without closing the slot.


    Firch let out a weary sigh. ¡°Listen, I know your boss told you to try and get us to leave but also to let us in if we insist. We¡¯ve just landed after a long voyage and I¡¯m a little weary, so can we dispense with this little song and dance and skip to the part where you let us in anyway?¡±


    The man on the other side of the gate glared at Firch for a moment before growling. ¡°Wait there. I¡¯ll go wake him up, but he won¡¯t be happy about it.¡±


    ¡°What was that about not making him angry?¡± Bardrick asked when the slot slammed shut.


    Firch sighed before folding his arms and leaning against the gate. ¡°Make yourselves comfortable, men. I get the feeling we will be waiting for a while.¡±


    It was two hours before the gates swung open. Duglin had fallen asleep, and Bardrick had to elbow the boy in the ribs to rouse him. As the trio got to their feet, they found a dozen men waiting for them on the other side of the gate. They were dressed in fine clothes in every colour of the rainbow, looking like so many peacocks. Duglin would have burst out in laughter at the sight of them were it not for the brace of pistols and the sword each man wore in his belt.


    ¡°Good evening, boys,¡± Firch called out. ¡°Are you here to take us to your boss?¡±


    One of their number, wearing an unbuttoned crimson shirt and a broad hat with a colourful feather in its band stepped forward and nodded. Instead of leading them into the mansion, the man guided them to a small gazebo in a quiet corner of the garden. Sitting on the only chair at a small table was a tall, thin, bespectacled man dressed in a velvet evening gown. His hair was as white as the gloves he wore, and he sipped at a teacup made from delicate porcelain before gesturing at his man, who in turn gestured Firch forward.


    ¡°Good evening, Thuley,¡± Firch said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I woke you up.¡±


    The man scowled. ¡°You pulled into port late, and I thought we could both use a little rest before having this meeting.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Well, with the Imperial Navy in the bay, people are a little skittish, and who can blame them?¡± Firch replied easily. ¡°They¡¯re eager to be paid, and so are we.¡±


    ¡°I see Inder isn¡¯t with you,¡± Thuley remarked, seeming as though he hadn¡¯t heard Firch speak. ¡°So he¡¯s finally left your ship. I don¡¯t see why he was sailing under you in the first place. Men who crossed the Southern Malestrom and lived to tell the tale are in high demand.¡±


    ¡°The Captain came back from that voyage as well,¡± Bardrick pointed out.


    ¡°As a cabin boy,¡± Thuley laughed, and his accent grew coarser and more broad. ¡°Inder was third mate. There¡¯s a yawning chasm of a gap ¡®twixt the two. Why, there were no shortage of captains promising him the world to join their crews, but he went and chose to join some hairless boy.¡±


    The white haired man¡¯s mouth twisted into a crooked smile as he looked at Firch. ¡°Say, the two of you aren¡¯t sly, are you?¡±


    The vein in Bardrick¡¯s neck bulged as his face turned crimson. Just when he looked like he was about to erupt, the bear of a man winced when Firch kicked him in the shin. The Captain shot him a warning look before turning back to Thurley. ¡°If we¡¯re done reminiscing, I¡¯m here about the job. We found your ship, the cargo was there like you said, and we¡¯ve brought it here like you told us to. Now, I¡¯d like to get paid so your men can get it off my ship.¡±


    ¡°You were seen,¡± Thuley pointed out.


    ¡°We were,¡± Firch admitted. ¡°But we weren¡¯t identified, so our contract is still valid.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t get everything neither, based on how high your ship was riding, and the fact that the Empire knew what was on that wreck,¡± Thuley countered.


    ¡°We made our best effort to get everything,¡± Firch shrugged. ¡°You can prorate our pay.¡±


    ¡°The hell he can,¡± Bardrick protested but fell silent when his Captain shot him a look.


    Firch turned back to Thuley and crossed his arms. ¡°We¡¯ve got what you¡¯ve asked for. It is of great value¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you take a peek?¡± the old man ventured.


    ¡°We did not,¡± Firch said. ¡°My crew and I have fulfilled our end of the bargain, and it seems to me that you are determined to not do the same.¡±


    Thuley chuckled and shook his head for a moment before speaking. ¡°Thing is, my buyer has gotten a little skittish in light of the Navy showing up. It¡¯s too dangerous to be caught with what you¡¯ve pinched. He¡¯s pulled out of the deal.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± Firch admitted. ¡°Also, not my problem. My contract was with you.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing,¡± Thuley said spreading out his hands. ¡°You¡¯ve been identified and failed to bring all the goods.¡±


    ¡°Through no fault of our own,¡± Firch pointed out.


    ¡°And circumstances have changed on my end as well,¡± Thuley continued.


    ¡°Again, not my fault, nor my problem,¡± Firch said firmly.


    ¡°Well not your fault, maybe,¡± Thuley allowed. ¡°But it is your problem. There are extenuating circumstances on both sides. Enough to declare the contract null and void.¡±


    Firch¡¯s voice became low and dangerous. ¡°Are you willing to risk a brand to find that out for sure?¡±


    Thuley looked Firch in the eye before replying. ¡°I am. I refuse to pay.¡±


    The pair locked eyes for what felt like an eternity. At length, Thuley touched his cheek before turning to his men.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing, boss,¡± he said.


    The old man breathed a sigh of relief and gave Firch a triumphant look. ¡°There, see? Ergon is on my side with this one.¡±


    ¡°So it seems,¡± Firch allowed. ¡°Come on boys, we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    Bardrick fumed as they were led out, but was able to hold onto his temper until the gates to Thuley¡¯s mansion were closed behind them. ¡°I thought we had a contract. How come Ergon didn¡¯t brand that little rat?¡±


    ¡°Extenuating circumstances,¡± Firch replied and furrowed his brow. ¡°This puts us in a bind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± Bardrick spat. ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°Head back to the Vesper,¡± Firch replied. ¡°We need to leave as soon as we can.¡±


    Bardrick¡¯s eyebrows skyrocketed. ¡°Do you think Thuley will rat us out to the Empire?¡±


    Firch shook his head. ¡°No, that would earn him a brand for sure.¡±


    ¡°What is it we¡¯re carrying, anyway?¡± Duglin blurted and shrank back when the other two looked at him.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s high time we found out,¡± Firch said at length.


    They walked the rest of the way back to the docks in silence, and as they approached the Vesper, Raimala called out. ¡°That took longer than expected. Trouble?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain later,¡± Firch replied.


    ¡°So, trouble, then,¡± Raimala remarked glibly.


    ¡°Anything happen while we were gone?¡± Firch asked as he climbed the gangplank. ¡°Where¡¯s Inder?¡±


    ¡°Marsel needed help with the provisioning,¡± she replied. ¡°Dorian wouldn¡¯t even set things aside without a man present.¡±


    Firch grunted irritably. ¡°That old goat always was a stickler for doing things the ¡®proper¡¯ way, but why go through him? What about the others?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s the low season so no one was stocking much,¡± Raimala explained. ¡°What little there was got bought out by the Navy. Dorian was the only one with anything left to sell.¡±


    ¡°Must have been because of his sunny disposition,¡± Firch remarked dryly and then noted the expression on his Pilot¡¯s face. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°Funny you should mention that,¡± Raimala said before stepping closer to the Captain and lowering his voice. ¡°A stranger came earlier wanting to see you about a job. Said he wouldn¡¯t leave without speaking to you. Gives me the creeps, he does.¡±


    ¡°Where is he now?¡± Firch asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s in your cabin,¡± she replied and shook her head. ¡°Thinking back on it now, it¡¯s kind of strange. It¡¯s like we couldn¡¯t say no to him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what he wants,¡± Firch said. He paused at the door to his cabin and turned around to look at Duglin. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Duglin asked.


    ¡°If I leave you with them, they¡¯re going to grill you on how the meeting went,¡± Firch replied.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Marsel asked as she appeared from the shadows. ¡°Did the meeting go poorly? Was it because we left stuff behind?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated, and I¡¯ll need to explain the nuances of our situation to the lot of you,¡± Firch said.


    ¡°That bad, eh?¡± Tash remarked from behind Marsel.


    Firch pulled the door open and cocked his head. ¡°Go on, get inside.¡±


    ¡°What about Bardrick?¡± Duglin blurted.


    ¡°He won¡¯t be pressured into spilling the beans,¡± Firch replied.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got that right,¡± the bear of a man agreed as he folded his arms across his bulging chest and put on his most intimidating look.


    Reluctantly, Duglin entered the Captain¡¯s cabin. It was tidy and sparsely furnished. A bunk and desk bolted to the bulkhead, a small wardrobe, and a mirror. As soon as he stepped inside, Duglin felt light headed and had to hold onto a wall to steady himself. Then, he saw a bald man sitting on an easy chair, staring at him with eyes that seemed as black as pits. Duglin tried to avert his gaze but was unable to. His head began to spin as he felt the unsettling black eyes probing him.


    ¡°Ah, the famous Captain Seager,¡± his words seemed to be swallowed up by the room, forcing Duglin to strain to hear what he was saying. ¡°You are as young as they say.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not the Captain,¡± Firch said as he walked into the cabin and closed the door behind him. ¡°I am.¡±


    The man smiled, revealing two rows of perfect, white teeth as he set his eerie black eyes on Firch. He wore a simple black robe that seemed to absorb the light given off by the nearby candles, making them cast unusually long shadows across the room.


    ¡°You also have a reputation of having branded and women on your crew,¡± the man continued. ¡°My name is Andar Eloudin, and I have a job for an open minded Captain such as yourself.¡±


    Firch eyed the bald man for a moment before arching an eyebrow. ¡°And what might that be?¡±


    ¡°I need passage to¡­¡± the man began.


    ¡°For how many?¡± Firch asked sharply.


    Andar looked stunned for a moment. Then, a smile slowly crept across her face. ¡°Ah, so you know¡­¡±


    ¡°That you are a witch hunter, yes, I am aware,¡± Firch said.


    The witch hunter smiled. ¡°How astute of you, captain.¡±


    ¡°What I want to know is whether or not you are bringing a prisoner with you,¡± Firch said brusquely.


    ¡°I am,¡± he said. ¡°Just the one, though.¡±


    Firch nodded slowly. ¡°That will raise the price considerably.¡±


    ¡°That is understandable,¡± the witch hunter nodded slowly. ¡°I take it you are agreeable to take the job on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m agreeable to discussing terms,¡± Firch allowed. ¡°However, I won¡¯t be able to give you an answer tonight. I will have to think things over and discuss the matter with my crew first.¡±


    ¡°Understandable.¡± The witch hunter nodded and spread his hands. ¡°Now then, shall we begin negotiations?¡±

 Chapter 5

    Negotiations were concluded quicker than Duglin expected, and the unsettling witch hunter took his leave. Once their guest was seen safely down the gangplank, the boy could tell that the crew had a mountain of questions for their Captain, but Firch seized the initiative.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure some of you have guessed that the deal with Thuley is off,¡± Firch began.


    ¡°What will we do, Captain?¡± Marsel began.


    ¡°We don¡¯t even have enough money for supper, never mind provision the ship,¡± Tash added.


    ¡°What are we hauling, anyway?¡± Raimala ventured, adding to the chorus of voices.


    The Captain raised a hand, and when his crew fell silent, he spoke softly. ¡°First of all, let¡¯s not disturb our neighbours. Let¡¯s go see what we have in our hold before discussing our next steps.¡±


    ¡°I will keep watch up here,¡± Fultern offered. ¡°Whatever you decide, Captain, I will follow.¡±


    Inder fell into step beside Firch as the Captain made his way down into the hold. ¡°That man, he was a witch hunter, wasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°He wants us to transport him and his prisoner to Darvigan,¡± Firch said.


    The colour drained from Inder¡¯s face, and the stocky man stopped in his tracks, blocking the narrow stairs. ¡°Tell me you said no.¡±


    ¡°I told him I¡¯d think about it,¡± Firch said. ¡°But that is a last resort.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± Inder said soberly as he began walking again. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he book passage on one of those Imperial ships we saw out in the bay?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re staying here to fly the flag,¡± Firch pointed out. ¡°Besides, you saw what they¡¯re setting up. They already have one witch on board. Can¡¯t blame their captain for not wanting to host two.¡±


    ¡°Two what?¡± Marsel asked as she and the others descended into the hold.


    ¡°Witches,¡± Firch replied bluntly.


    Marsel blinked. ¡°Witches? Not pixies or elves?¡±


    ¡°Thought they were only the subject of stories cooked up to scare children into behaving,¡± Tash remarked.


    ¡°We¡¯d never heard of such things until just now,¡± Raimala added.


    ¡°Well, they are real, and they are trouble,¡± Inder grunted before shuddering. ¡°I¡¯d rather not be within a hundred leagues of one if it¡¯s all the same to you.¡±


    ¡°Well, as it happens, we¡¯re within a league of two, I¡¯d wager,¡± Firch remarked dryly. He then turned to Bardrick. ¡°Care to open one of these up?¡±


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been itching to find out what¡¯s been in these since we got the job,¡± the bear of a man replied as he found a crowbar. ¡°Now, I¡¯m dead certain I don¡¯t want to know.¡±


    ¡°All the same, open one up.¡±


    The crew watched with bated breath as the muscular man pried a crate open, and Inder cursed when he saw what was inside.


    ¡°A cannon?¡± Duglin blurted. The weapon was long, and the Imperial Eagle etched into its base seemed to gleam under the light of the hold¡¯s lanterns.


    ¡°Not just any cannon,¡± Inder breathed as he struck one gently with a hammer, producing a steady, low pitched note. ¡°These are the latest long nines. Long range, terribly accurate in the hands of a capable gunner and for the exclusive use of the Imperial Navy.¡±


    Bardrick scowled. ¡°Let me guess, the likes of us being caught with one means¡­¡±


    ¡°Death by hanging,¡± Firch said and glanced at the two slightly smaller crates. ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll find the fancy shells these things fire in there.¡±


    ¡°What were they doing on that wreck?¡± Marsel breathed.


    ¡°A ¡®welcome to the Empire¡¯ gift for our governor, I¡¯d wager,¡± Inder suggested.


    ¡°What do we do with them, Skip?¡± Raimala asked.


    ¡°We find a buyer,¡± Firch replied. ¡°There has to be someone out there willing to buy them.¡±


    ¡°Did you forget about the death penalty for possessing them, Captain?¡± Bardrick spat.


    ¡°Plenty of settlements and people out there that won¡¯t worry about that,¡± Inder pointed out.


    ¡°Yea, but they¡¯re the types who¡¯d sooner pry the cannons from our cold dead bodies before paying us for them,¡± Bardrick countered.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Firch roared.


    A shocked silence descended over the hold. Duglin was the most surprised of all. In his month on board, this was the first time he¡¯d heard the Captain raise his voice.


    Firch¡¯s gaze turned steely. ¡°These cannons are the only thing worth a damn on this ship. If we don¡¯t sell them, we could well lose the ship.¡±


    Marsel raised a meek hand, and Firch signalled for her to speak.


    ¡°To that point, Captain,¡± she said, her voice scarcely a whisper. ¡°We don¡¯t even have enough money to buy provisions. How are we going to set out?¡±Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°We¡¯ll spend tomorrow begging and borrowing to scrounge together what we can,¡± Firch said. ¡°Then we head west.¡±


    ¡°You want to try our luck at Murkwater?¡± Bardrick ventured.


    ¡°If it comes to it,¡± Firch said. He then turned to Inder. ¡°Did you get any whiff of work while you were out?¡±


    The first mate shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s the low season, Captain, and what little work there is, isn¡¯t available to a ship with women and a branded on her crew.¡±


    ¡°But what about¡­¡± Tash began.


    ¡°Captain!¡± Came Fultern¡¯s voice from above decks. ¡°It¡¯s Darnall. He¡¯s brought men.¡±


    Inder led the charge out of the hold, and once they were on deck, they found over a dozen armed men standing at the foot of the gangplank with Darnall at their head. Fultern stood at the top of the gangplank, blocking their path. His sword was at his hip, and he kept his hands loose at his sides as he stared them down.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the look in their eyes,¡± Bardrick whispered. ¡°Shall I break out the weapons?¡±


    ¡°No, best not instigate things,¡± Firch replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard your crew have been running around town securing provisions, Seager,¡± Darnall called. ¡°Are you looking to leave in a hurry?¡±


    ¡°Can you blame me?¡± Firch asked.


    ¡°No, but I trust you weren¡¯t thinking about leaving before paying me,¡± Darnall said. ¡°Has Thuley paid you yet?¡±


    Firch hesitated before replying. ¡°There have been some complications. Perhaps we could agree upon an extension¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m holding you to our contract, Seager,¡± Darnall warned. ¡°To the initial terms we agreed before Ergon.¡±


    ¡°Well then, we need to leave in search of work so we can pay you,¡± Firch replied.


    ¡°Your first payment is due in two days,¡± Darnall scoffed and waved his men forward. ¡°There¡¯s no job that will earn what you owe in that time. I¡¯m impounding your ship. If I¡¯m not paid in two days, she¡¯s mine.¡±


    Darnall gestured to his men, who charged up the gangplank.


    ¡°Fultern what are you doing?¡± Bardrick demanded as the wiry man stepped aside to let Darnall¡¯s men swarm on board.


    ¡°What Darnall says is true,¡± he replied. ¡°He is within his rights to seize this ship until he is paid.¡±


    ¡°Stand down, Bardrick,¡± Firch growled and levelled his gaze on Darnall as the swarthy man strolled onto the deck and looked around.


    ¡°Captain, perhaps we could offer him one of those cannons as payment,¡± Raimala suggested softly.


    ¡°What¡¯s he going to want with one of them?¡± Inder hissed. ¡°He¡¯d just as soon turn us in for the reward and seize our ship.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you your payment, Darnall,¡± Firch said. ¡°In the meantime, your men are not to go belowdecks or up onto the quarterdeck.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think you are to give me orders, boy?¡± the careener demanded.


    Firch tapped his cheek before turning to Fultern. ¡°Stop anyone who tries to go where they¡¯re not meant to.¡±


    The swordsman nodded. ¡°Aye, Captain.¡±


    Darnall¡¯s men chuckled and exchanged amused looks before looking to their boss, who waved them away.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯ve got up your sleeve, but one way or another, I¡¯m getting paid in two days,¡± he warned.


    ¡°Of course you are,¡± Firch said. ¡°And I¡¯ll be sailing out of this port on my ship.¡±


    As Firch walked to the gangplank, Inder ran up to him and hissed. ¡°You¡¯re not going to accept the job, are you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what choice I have,¡± he replied. ¡°Have everyone except for Fultern meet me at the temple in two hours, he needs to keep an eye on things over here.¡±


    ¡°Will Ergon even legitimize a contract when there¡¯s a witch involved?¡± Inder asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re about to find out,¡± Firch said. ¡°Where are we on the provisions?¡±


    ¡°All we need is the money,¡± Inder replied.


    Firch nodded before walking down the gangplank and into the night. When he disappeared from view, Inder sighed and turned around. ¡°You heard the Captain, let¡¯s go.¡±


    The Temple to Ergon was an impressive stone structure topped by a domed roof. It stood on a small rise close to the shore, affording pilgrims a clear view of the bay from the temple¡¯s grounds.


    ¡°It¡¯s just after midnight, and there are so many people here,¡± Raimala breathed as they joined the queue of worshippers waiting for their turn to enter the temple.


    Marsel frowned as she looked out towards the docks. ¡°I don¡¯t see why we¡¯re here. Women and the branded aren¡¯t welcome in the temple, and I don¡¯t like the idea of leaving the Vesper alone with those men.¡±


    ¡°The Captain wanted everyone here so that we wouldn¡¯t get in his way should things take a violent turn on our ship,¡± Inder replied.


    ¡°Fultern, sure did a bang up job keeping Darnall and his thugs off our ship,¡± Bardrick scowled. ¡°The Captain should have left me in charge of security.¡±


    ¡°Fultern has a rigid sense of morality¡± Inder said. ¡°He decided they were justified to impound the ship, so he let them on. If they try to do anything more, he won¡¯t take it lying down.¡±


    ¡°Get in his way,¡± Bardrick scoffed. ¡°He¡¯s alone against a dozen men.¡±


    A wry smile crossed Inder¡¯s lips. ¡°That¡¯s right, you lot haven¡¯t seen him in a proper fight.¡±


    ¡°Did that fight happen while you were drunk?¡± Bardrick snorted.


    Inder clicked his lips irritably, and the bear of a man backed down and scowled. ¡°What¡¯s the Captain thinking, forming a contract for this job? Didn¡¯t you say the man had been turned down by every single captain in town? He should be desperate enough to agree to any terms the Captain sets.¡±


    ¡°All the more reason to get a contract sanctified,¡± Inder pointed out. ¡°Keeps him honest. Besides, didn¡¯t you know? All witch hunters are Imperial Agents. I wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable letting one aboard without some assurances.¡±


    Bardrick made a face. ¡°Now we¡¯re letting an Imperial Agent on board? Well, that¡¯s just perfect.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s what worries me,¡± Marsel said softly.


    Inder sighed when she paused. ¡°Go on then, let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    ¡°I happened to overhear them talk about passage to Darvigan,¡± the young woman began.


    Bardrick scowled. ¡°Figures he¡¯d be headed there.¡±


    Marsel lowered her voice before continuing. ¡°Are we going to carry our¡­ goods there?¡±


    ¡°That would be mighty stupid,¡± Tash remarked.


    ¡°Which is why that¡¯s not what we¡¯re going to do,¡± Inder growled.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just throw them away,¡± Bardrick grumbled. ¡°That would leave us with nothing after everything we¡¯ve been through.¡±


    That prospect sobered the crew, and the mood grew grimmer. At length, Inder clapped his hands. ¡°The Captain has a plan.¡±


    ¡°Wish he¡¯d share it with the rest of us,¡± Marsel said nervously. ¡°I don¡¯t see how we can charge enough for passage for two to Darvigan to settle our debt to Darnall. Not if we want Ergon¡¯s blessing¡­¡±


    ¡°Trust in the Captain,¡± Inder said.


    An awkward silence descended over the crew as they moved with the line towards the temple¡¯s doors. Then, Duglin could no longer hold back his curiosity.


    ¡°Why do you have so much faith in the Captain, anyway?¡± the boy asked.


    The first mate whirled around and gave him a look that turned Duglin¡¯s knees to jelly. However, his bitterness at the prospect of not being paid after a hard month at sea made him blurt. ¡°You were third mate on that famous voyage of yours, and he was just the cabin boy. How can you have so much faith in him?¡±


    The others fell silent. The truth was the question burned the mines of many in Avarice, the Vesper¡¯s crew included, and they were eager to hear the answer. Inder continued to glare at the boy but emboldened by the crew¡¯s obvious curiosity, he held the first mate¡¯s gaze. At length, Inder shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, he took you to see Thuley, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what that¡­¡± Duglin began.


    ¡°Best not to believe to a word that man says,¡± Inder remarked.


    ¡°But it¡¯s the truth,¡± Bardrick insisted. ¡°You were third mate, and he was the cabin boy on that voyage across the Maelstrom.¡±


    Inder glared at the big man, who shrugged in return. At length, Inder sighed. ¡°You¡¯d have to have been there to understand.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth?¡±


    The others jumped when they saw Firch walking up to them with Andar, the witch hunter, half a pace behind him. When he joined them in the queue, the Captain clapped his hands and rubbed them together.


    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s get this done, shall we?¡¯

 Chapter 6

    The queue was long, and the sun was beginning to creep up over the horizon by the time it was the crew¡¯s turn to enter. Bardrick and the women were obliged to stay outside while six priests wearing gold robes ushered the others between the pair of pillars that stood on either side of the entryway. The air inside was heavy with the scent of incense, and the air was filled with the chanting of unseen priests. After they walked down a short passageway, they arrived at the main chamber where a statue of Ergon, the God of Contracts stood. It had been cast from solid gold and stood over twenty feet tall. He held a set of scales over a pair of platforms that were each just large enough for one person to stand on.


    ¡°This will be a private contract,¡± Firch said.


    The robed priests nodded and retreated to a respectful distance.


    ¡°Do you know how this is done?¡± Firch asked the witch hunter.


    Andar scratched the back of his head and nodded. ¡°I know of the theory, but as I¡¯ve said, there is no need for this. I¡¯ve agreed to all of your terms, and I¡¯m paying you up front¡­¡±


    Firch smiled. ¡°Humour me, will you?¡±


    The bald man shrugged. ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the terms we discussed?¡±


    Andar nodded. ¡°I do.¡±


    Firch cleared his throat as the pair stood before the statue and raised his hand to touch his right cheek. ¡°I Firch Seager, do solemnly swear to do everything in my power to bring Andar Eloudin and his prisoner safely to the port of Darvigan within two months of this day.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that about?¡± Duglin blurted. ¡°Isn¡¯t Darvigan only a week¡¯s sail away?¡±


    ¡°We have other errands to run, remember?¡± Inder hissed.


    Duglin swallowed and nodded as Andar raised his hand to his cheek and spoke. ¡°And I, Andar Eloudin, do solemnly swear to pay Firch Seager two hundred sovereigns in advance for this service, and swear not to interfere with his running of the ship as well as to follow any reasonable rules he sets.¡±


    The pair removed their hands from their cheeks to reveal deep brands that quickly faded away. A priest, who had been standing just out of earshot rang a bronze gong.


    ¡°The contract is ratified. We¡¯re in business,¡± Firch declared, wearing a broad smile. ¡°I appreciate your understanding of the loose timeframe.¡±


    Andar sighed. ¡°Quicker would have been better, but beggars can¡¯t be choosers.¡±


    The bald man handed Firch a bulging pouch and shook his head. ¡°You know, I was more than willing to seal this with a handshake like civilized people, and you would have been twenty sovereigns richer.¡±


    The Captain emptied the pouch¡¯s contents into a brimming chest placed before the statue of Ergon before shrugging. ¡°We aren¡¯t in civilized lands. Not yet anyway¡­¡±


    He looked out the window and frowned. ¡°I know we agreed to meet at my ship at dawn, but I didn¡¯t expect the queue to be so long.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you at your ship with the rest of your money, and my guest in an hour, Captain,¡± Andar promised as he turned to leave. ¡°Now then, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have much to prepare.¡±


    ¡°All done, Captain?¡± Tash asked when they emerged from the temple.


    ¡°All done,¡± he beamed.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve always wondered why this God of Contracts won¡¯t ratify contracts if a woman is one of the parties,¡± Raimala said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t ratify them,¡± Tash laughed. ¡°They just won¡¯t be branded if they break the terms, rendering any contract with a woman pointless.¡±


    Raimala blinked. ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°They say that Ergon was a notorious womaniser before he ascended to godhood,¡± Tash explained. ¡°And once he entered the Pantheon, he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of marring one¡¯s face.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange, the types your Gods accept into their number,¡± Raimala mused.


    ¡°I¡¯ll thank you not to say that in front of his own temple,¡± Firch admonished good naturedly.


    ¡°Well, someone looks like he has a weight off his shoulders,¡± Bardrick remarked. ¡°How much did we get?¡±


    ¡°Two hundred,¡± Firch replied.


    Bardrick let out a low whistle. ¡°A princely sum for passage for two, but it¡¯s just about enough for us to settle our first instalment to Darnall with a little left over.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re out of the woods for now,¡± Firch said, his good humour vanishing as quickly as it came. ¡°However, our job just got harder with that man on board, and we need to do it quickly. I don¡¯t want him or his prisoner on my ship for a moment longer than necessary.¡±


    ¡°Carrying a witch will be dangerous even with a hunter on board,¡± Inder said soberly.


    ¡°If it turns out to be more than we can handle, there¡¯s nothing stopping us from dropping them off at Darvigan early,¡± Firch said.


    ¡°Except for our cargo,¡± Bardrick pointed out.


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out if it comes to that,¡± Firch replied. He removed his hat to run his hand through his hair before shaking his head. ¡°For now, let¡¯s savour our victory and go home.¡±


    ¡°One thing that bugs me though,¡± Inder said as he looked over at the witch hunter, who was making his way swiftly through the crowd. ¡°There should have been no shortage of crews willing to transport them to Darvigan for two hundred sovereigns, even if one of them¡¯s a witch. Something¡¯s off.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°The thought crossed my mind,¡± Firch said. ¡°But Ergon wouldn¡¯t have ratified the deal if he had a sinister motive, and we have our backs to the wall. All we can do is make the best of the hand we¡¯ve been dealt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll swing by the provisioners,¡± Inder offered. ¡°I think I can persuade them to make a delivery if I promise to pay them at the docks.¡±


    ¡°Could you get some meat?¡± Tash asked hopefully.


    Inder shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ve got two more mouths to feed and need to stretch our money for two months.¡±


    Tash¡¯s shoulders slumped. Marsel wrapped an arm around her waist and gave Tash a compassionate squeeze. ¡°It was worth a try.¡±


    ¡°That cargo is a chain around our necks,¡± Firch said. ¡°We can think about pampering ourselves after we¡¯ve offloaded it.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, Captain,¡± Tash replied wearily.


    The docks were a hive of activity by the time the crew arrived. However, the pier that the Vesper was moored at was completely deserted.


    ¡°This is a bad sign,¡± Marsel murmured as they walked down the pier.


    ¡°It¡¯s downright eerie,¡± Tash agreed as the others quickened their pace.


    Up ahead, they heard raised voices, and Marsel frowned. ¡°Normally the people of the docks would be attracted to a fight.¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s keeping them away,¡± Firch observed as he primed his pistol. ¡°Are any of you armed?¡±


    Tash picked a nearby stool up and broke off a leg. ¡°I am now.¡±


    Bardrick shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll find something if a fight breaks out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Marsel said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not either,¡± Duglin stammered.


    ¡°Neither are we,¡± Raimala and Elran added.


    Firch handed his gun to Marsel and drew his cutlass. ¡°This will have to do.¡±


    The young woman took the weapon and made a face. ¡°I can only do so much with this.¡±


    Soon, they came across a pair of men in brown cloaks standing with their backs to them, looking at the commotion further down the pier.


    ¡°Those are the governor¡¯s goons,¡± Tash remarked. ¡°What are they doing here?¡±


    ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± Firch said before tapping one of the men on the shoulder. ¡°Good morning, what seems to be the issue?¡±


    ¡°This pier is closed,¡± the man snarled.


    ¡°On whose authority?¡± Firch asked, hiding his sword behind his back.


    ¡°The governor¡¯s, who¡¯s else?¡± The man said, pointing at the tin badge pinned to his breast.


    Firch scratched the back of his head. ¡°See, that¡¯s a problem. My ship is moored here¡­¡±


    The man¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°You¡¯re master of the Vesper?¡±


    Firch nodded. ¡°I am, is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Your guard dog is interfering with an official search of your ship!¡± the other guard exclaimed. ¡°I insist that you call him off at once.¡±


    Firch frowned. ¡°He¡¯s just following my orders. Why is my ship being searched?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on the governor¡¯s orders,¡± the guard said. ¡°Now, call your dog off.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have the authority,¡± Firch pointed out without budging.


    ¡°Well, he does now,¡± the guard said as he and his partner drew their swords. ¡°Now, are you going to call your dog off, or are we going to have to rough you up some?¡±


    ¡°Bardrick, these gentlemen are in our way. Toss them into the sea, if you please,¡± Firch ordered.


    One of the guards turned in time for a crate the huge man had hurled to catch him square in the face, sending him tumbling off the side of the pier.


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that!¡± the other man roared as he swung his sword.


    However, Bardrick caught his wrist neatly and plucked the weapon from his hand as though he was taking something from a small child.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking that, thank you,¡± he said, before shoving the man into the sea.


    ¡°The governor¡¯s grown a pair now that the Imperial Navy¡¯s shown up,¡± Tash gasped as Firch led them down the pier towards the Vesper.


    ¡°Thuley must have sold us out,¡± Bardrick growled. ¡°He¡¯ll get a brand for this.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t count him getting branded,¡± Firch replied. ¡°He¡¯s cunning if nothing else.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Tash remarked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he rat us out to the Empire?¡±


    ¡°The governor was probably more willing to entertain innuendo,¡± Firch said. ¡°Besides, Thuley doesn¡¯t want to make himself known to them.¡±


    The area around the gangplank was deserted, and the deck was now deathly silent. Firch led the charge up onto the ship where the crew found at least twenty men in brown cloaks, groaning as they lay on the deck sporting various wounds, but none appeared fatal. Fultern stood over them with his rapier in his hand. Darnall and his men, meanwhile, were gathered on the prow, looking scared out of their wits.


    ¡°Ah Captain,¡± Fultern said casually. ¡°You¡¯ve returned. Did you strike a deal?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Firch nodded as he sheathed his sword. ¡°Did they give you any trouble?¡±


    ¡°Nothing I couldn¡¯t handle,¡± Fultern replied.


    ¡°Well, clear the deck and make us ready for departure,¡± Firch ordered. ¡°We¡¯re leaving as soon as our supplies get here.¡±


    ¡°The hell you are!¡± Darnall cried from the prow. ¡°I want my money!¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll get it,¡± Firch said. ¡°Every penny of what your first instalment, just as soon as¡­¡±


    ¡°Captain Seager!¡± a voice called from the pier.


    Firch broke into a broad grin. ¡°As it so happens, your money is here now. Bardrick?¡±


    The bear of a man paused as he was about to heave a wounded brown cloak over the side. ¡°Yes, Captain?¡±


    ¡°Go help our passenger with his luggage, will you?¡±


    ¡°Aye, Captain,¡± Bardrick said.


    The man screamed as he was unceremoniously dropped and fell silent when he landed on the pier with a sickening thud.


    ¡°Anyone else who doesn¡¯t want to be helped off should leave now,¡± Firch warned.


    Those who were able quickly picked themselves up and helped their stricken fellows to their feet under the crew¡¯s watchful eye. Once the last of them scurried down the gangplank, Bardrick returned carrying a small chest.


    ¡°Raimala, count out what Darnall is owed for his first instalment and hand it to him, will you?¡± Firch said once the chest was set before him.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I do that?¡± Bardrick demanded.


    ¡°Because I told you to help our guest with his luggage, remember?¡±


    ¡°I want payment in full!¡± Darnall shouted from the prow.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll get it in ten weeks, as per our contract,¡± Firch replied.


    ¡°Now see here!¡± Darnall began, but Firch cut him off.


    ¡°Once you¡¯ve been paid, you and your men are getting off my ship,¡± he warned. ¡°One way or another.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see to it you never do business in this town again!¡± Darnall cried once Raimala handed him the money.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my chances,¡± Firch said evenly. ¡°Now, get off my ship.¡±


    The careener and his men scurried down the gangplank and once he was safely on the pier, began shouting threats as he withdrew quickly. Firch shook his head as Bardrick approached him.


    ¡°What has you looking so distressed?¡± the Captain asked.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s on board, Captain,¡± he said. The colour was drained from his face, and his voice was soft. ¡°He wants to come up.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Firch nodded. ¡°Permission to come aboard granted.¡±


    The temperature on deck plummeted and Duglin felt his hair stand on end when the witch hunter¡¯s bald head appeared over the gangplank. He held a chain that was attached to a metal collar around the neck of the blindfolded girl who walked behind him. Duglin felt an inexplicable sense of dread when he saw her. She looked to be around his age and was rail thin. She wore a simple white dress, and her hands were manacled in front of her and a metal contraption was wrapped around her mouth that prevented her from speaking.


    ¡°Ah, Captain,¡± Andar said jovially. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    A look of disgust briefly crossed Firch¡¯s face when he saw the girl, but the Captain recovered quickly. ¡°I don¡¯t need to know her name. The two of you are to confine yourself to my quarters for the duration of the voyage. Neither of you are to leave without my permission and you are to refrain from speaking with my crew. Food and fresh water will be brought twice a day, and weather permitting, I¡¯ll allow both of you to roam the deck for thirty minutes every evening while my crew is below decks. Is that clear?¡±


    Andar nodded eagerly. ¡°Generous terms, Captain. Very generous.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Firch said. ¡°Bardrick, show him to my quarters.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Captain,¡± the man said softly.


    ¡°Are we really going to spend two months with them on board?¡± Marsel asked softly.


    ¡°We¡¯re all going to die,¡± Raimala breathed. ¡°I can feel it in my bones.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been near a witch,¡± Fultern added. ¡°I¡¯d forgotten how unpleasant it feels.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough out of all of you,¡± Firch said sharply. ¡°This is the job. Now, keep watch for Inder. We¡¯re weighing anchor the moment we get our supplies loaded.¡±

 Chapter 7

    Seagulls mewed as overhead as the Vesper charged out into the bay under full sail. The Captain stood on the quarterdeck, studying his ship and the sea ahead of him with a critical eye. His passengers stood nearby while his crew busied themselves securing their provisions below deck save for Duglin, who was crouched by the stairs leading to the hold, trying to look busy.


    Andar breathed in deeply before declaring. ¡°It¡¯s good to be finally underway.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll stop at a nearby island to take on water fresh water. It shouldn¡¯t take more than an hour,¡± Firch said. ¡°You are to stay on board and out of sight while we are docked.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Captain,¡± Andar said. ¡°Could you give me an idea of where we¡¯ll be going after that?¡±


    Firch looked over at the witch, who was still bound and blindfolded and kept on a tight leash by the witch hunter. ¡°She¡¯s older than I expected.¡±


    ¡°She is still a child,¡± Andar said sadly. ¡°Would you feel better if she was younger?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Firch allowed. ¡°She¡¯s too old to be trained, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Andar looked at the witch for a moment before nodding. ¡°Unfortunately, yes. Four years is the oldest. That was a hard learned lesson.¡±


    ¡°What will become of her?¡± Firch ventured.


    The witch hunter looked at the pyramidal structure out in the bay and sighed. ¡°I think you have an idea, Captain.¡±


    A troubled look crossed Firch¡¯s face, which Andar noticed. The witch hunter pushed his wide brimmed hat up and scratched his bald head. ¡°You don¡¯t approve?¡±


    ¡°It seems a horrific fate,¡± The Captain said.


    ¡°I take no pleasure in what I do, Captain, but it has to be done,¡± Andar said as he glanced at his prisoner. ¡°For the good of the Empire.¡±


    ¡°Why take her to Darvigan, though?¡± Firch ventured. ¡°There¡¯s a Sentinel right here.¡±


    Andar chuckled softly and nodded. ¡°Yes, I was wondering when you would ask that question. I¡¯m surprised it¡¯s taken you this long.¡±


    Firch arched an eyebrow. ¡°And are you going to give me an answer?¡±


    The witch hunter gave him a sideways glance and smiled coyly before nodding. ¡°Yes, though it is a little embarrassing.¡±


    Andar chuckled again before continuing. ¡°This witch is exceedingly powerful, and intelligent.¡±


    ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t she be of better use as an Imperial Sorceress?¡± Firch ventured.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said, Captain, she¡¯s too old,¡± Andar began. ¡°There isn¡¯t time to teach her control and without control, the power could wreak terrible damage both to the people around her, and the witch herself.¡±


    ¡°So making her a fuel source for a Sentinel is an act of mercy?¡± Firch scoffed.


    ¡°In a way,¡± Andar replied cryptically. ¡°At any rate, she is far more powerful than the witch chosen for Darvigan¡¯s Sentinel.¡±


    A wry smile twisted the witch hunter¡¯s lips when he saw the look of disbelief on Firch¡¯s face. ¡°Ah, you can see where this is heading. Yes, it is as you suspect. The Lord Magistrate of the Viridian Sea couldn¡¯t accept the fact that an Imperial stronghold would have an inferior Sentinel than one in a newly inducted port and demanded the witches be exchanged.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like this Lord Magistrate knows the dangers of transporting a witch,¡± Firch remarked.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth?¡± Andar said with a shake of his head. ¡°But he is Lord Magistrate, and I am but a lowly witch hunter who has no choice but to fetch when he orders me to fetch.¡±


    Firch nodded thoughtfully and turned his gaze out to sea. Andar looked at him for a moment before speaking. ¡°You know, the Empire could use a man of your talents.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Firch asked without taking his eyes off the sea ahead.


    ¡°I know about you, Firch Seager,¡± Andar said. ¡°The young cabin boy who led his crew through the Southern Maelstrom and back¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that why you were so desperate for me to take you to Darvingal?¡± Firch asked sharply.


    Andar paused for a moment and nodded. ¡°Mine is a dangerous task, though not as nearly as dangerous as what you went through, and I want a resourceful Captain to help me complete it.¡±


    ¡°Whatever stories you¡¯ve heard about me are clearly overblown,¡± the Captain said before ringing the ship¡¯s bell. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I need my crew on deck now, so if you¡¯ll kindly take your ward and return to your cabin.¡±


    Andar broke into a broad grin and tugged on the brim of his hat. ¡°I look forward to speaking to you again tomorrow, Captain.¡±


    After the witch hunter disappeared into the captain¡¯s cabin with his prisoner, the Vesper¡¯s crew emerged from below decks and assembled in front of the quarterdeck.


    Raimala was the first to speak. ¡°Where are we going, Skip?¡±


    Firch watched the sun for a moment before taking a deep breath. ¡°We¡¯ll go to Jerning. They¡¯ll know if anyone¡¯s willing to buy our goods in that part of the sea.¡±


    Inder blinked. ¡°We¡¯ll be taking a hell of a chance, Captain¡­ Do we have enough left over to pay him?¡±


    ¡°Just about,¡± Firch replied. ¡°If any of you have a better idea, I¡¯m all ears.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The others shook their heads slowly, and the Captain nodded. ¡°Raimala, set a course through the Maw.¡±


    Raimala paused at the foot of the quarterdeck and looked up at him quizzically. ¡°Did I hear you correctly, you want us to go through the Maw?¡±


    ¡°You heard me,¡± Firch said as he headed below decks. ¡°It¡¯ll cut a week off our journey, and the sooner we get paid, the sooner we can get those two off my ship.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what did you discuss with our passenger?¡± Bardrick asked.


    Firch cocked his head at Duglin as he descended below decks. ¡°Ask him, that¡¯s why you told him to do busy work by the stairs, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Wake me up when we arrive at the Twins,¡± he ordered. ¡°Bardrick, I¡¯ll be taking your bunk.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Captain,¡± the large man sighed.


    When the Captain was gone, everyone¡¯s eyes went to Duglin, and the boy swallowed nervously. ¡°So, what do you want to know?¡±


    The Maw was a network of reefs and rocky ridges that lay in a shallow strait between two large, uninhabited islands. It lay on a direct path between Avarice, and the island of Jerning. The entrance to the Maw was marked by two tall rocks that reached out of the sea like a pair of giant¡¯s fingers.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to do this, Captain?¡± Inder asked as he watched the small whirlpools and eddies in the water that were signs of submerged rocks lying in wait to dash any unsuspecting ships.


    Firch looked over at Tash, whose bulging muscles seemed to quiver in anticipation at the task ahead and asked. ¡°Are you up for this?¡±


    The muscular woman licked her lips and nodded. ¡°Always wanted to make an attempt at the Maw, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to need Bardrick¡¯s help?¡± he ventured.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± she grinned.


    ¡°Good to hear,¡± Firch said before turning to Raimala. ¡°You have us oriented?¡±


    The dark skinned woman bit her lip as she looked between the Twins and a chart she had pinned to a small table. ¡°I think so¡­¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re off by so much as a fathom, we¡¯re sunk,¡± Inder warned.


    ¡°So don¡¯t rush me,¡± she snapped as she mopped the sweat from her brow. ¡°Whoever charted this route was insane.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have quite the story to tell when you get back home, then,¡± Firch remarked. ¡°Duglin, let our guests know we¡¯ll be in for a bumpy ride.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Cap¡¯n!¡± the boy said as he tore his eyes off the churning sea that was less than a league ahead of them.


    As he made his way from the prow to the Captain¡¯s¡¯ cabin, Inder pulled him aside. ¡°Just tell them to hold onto something and don¡¯t linger, do you hear me?¡±


    Duglin nodded and the first mate released his arm. ¡°Witch hunters and witches, no good will come of spending time in your company, do you hear?¡±


    The boy nodded again and hesitantly continued on his way to the cabin. Once at the door, he took a deep breath and mustered his courage before knocking. He jumped when the door opened before he had readied himself and he found himself looking up at the witch hunter.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Andar asked.


    The boy felt light headed and could only stare wide-eyed at the bald man. It felt as though he was enraptured by some sort of spell. An amused smile twisted the witch hunter¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Did you come here to gawk or have you a message?¡± he asked.


    In an instant, it felt as if the spell was broken. Duglin blinked before blurting, ¡°The Captain says to hold onto something. We¡¯re about to sail through some rough seas.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I gathered as much,¡± Andar nodded. ¡°The water out our window has gone from clear blue to a churning green.¡±


    The boy continued staring at the man, who offered a bemused smile. ¡°Was there anything else?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he was supposed to pass the message and leave,¡± Inder said as he pulled the boy roughly aside. He was about to close the cabin door, but the witch hunter held it open.


    ¡°You are right, being in the presence of a witch is dangerous, some have the power to corrupt minds with a mere word,¡± Andar said sweetly. ¡°But in the presence of a witch hunter, they are as harmless as¡­ well I wouldn¡¯t say a kitten¡­ perhaps a rabid mouse.¡±


    Inder forced a smile. ¡°All the same, I¡¯d rather the boy not be exposed unnecessarily.¡±


    ¡°A fair point,¡± Andar allowed without releasing his grip on the door. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to know where we are, would you, Mister¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought we agreed that you were not to speak with my crew,¡± the Captain said sharply as he appeared behind Inder.


    The witch hunter bowed his head apologetically. ¡°Forgive me, but it does get a little¡­ trying, not having anyone to speak to.¡±


    Duglin looked over at the witch, who was still bound and gagged. The boy felt a shiver run down his spine when their eyes met and quickly looked away.


    ¡°I understand that, but I must insist you refrain from speaking with them,¡± Firch¡¯s voice was firm, and Andar nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I apologize, Captain, it won¡¯t happen again,¡± he said before closing the door.


    Firch nodded and tapped his first mate on the shoulder. ¡°Get below decks and see if Bardrick is done securing our cargo.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Ms Raimala are you happy?¡± the Captain asked as he climbed up to the quarterdeck.


    ¡°No Captain, but I¡¯m ready as I¡¯ll ever be,¡± she said as she consulted her charts one last time.


    ¡°Tash?¡± he asked, looking at his helmswoman.


    ¡°Raring to go, Captain,¡± she beamed. ¡°Just say the word.¡±


    Soon, Inder appeared on deck with Bardrick following right behind. ¡°Everything¡¯s battened down and secure, Captain. We can go on your word.¡±


    Firch nodded and rang the bell. ¡°Everyone, to your stations, we¡¯re going in.¡±


    He watched Marsel rocket up the mast like a monkey and frowned in disapproval. ¡°I thought you told her to wear a safety line whenever she goes up there.¡±


    ¡°You know what she¡¯s like,¡± Inder said and shook his head as he glanced over at Tash, who was at the helm. ¡°And if you give one a talking to, you¡¯ll get an earful from both of them.¡±


    ¡°Well, work on her,¡± Firch ordered.


    ¡°Aye, Captain,¡± Inder sighed.


    Once he was satisfied that everyone was in position, Firch turned to Raimala and nodded. ¡°Pilot, take us in.¡±


    The dark skinned young woman took a deep breath before barking orders. ¡°Raise the trysail, helm, bring us two points to port.¡±


    Firch watched with satisfaction as his crew sprang into action. Soon, the Vesper came about and shuddered as the current took her and accelerated her towards the Maw.


    ¡°Captain, two leagues off our port bow,¡± Marsel called down from the crow¡¯s nest.


    The crew looked in that direction and were sobered by what they saw. Even from that distance, they could make out the burnt out front half of a ship that had foundered on the rocks without the use of a spyglass.


    ¡°It looks like it was torn apart,¡± Duglin breathed.


    ¡°That¡¯s cannon fire, lad,¡± Inder said as he studied the ship through a spyglass. ¡°They blew her apart and set her on fire before letting her drift¡­¡±


    ¡°Who could have done such a thing?¡± Duglin asked.


    ¡°Only Imperial ships have enough firepower to do that in these waters,¡± Bardrick replied and turned to the quarterdeck. ¡°Captain, maybe we shouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°We press on ahead,¡± Firch ordered.


    ¡°Could have been that ship we saw back at Avarice,¡± Bardrick offered nervously.


    ¡°There¡¯s no turning back now anyway,¡± Raimala pointed out.


    ¡°Lookouts, you let us know the moment you see another ship out there!¡± Firch cried.


    ¡°Aye Captain!¡± Marsel and Fultern called back.


    Soon, the currents carried the Vesper between the Twins. Duglin thought they were a little close to one of them when Fultern shouted a warning from the prow.


    ¡°Rocks ahead!¡±


    He hadn¡¯t time to finish his warning when Raimala shouted. ¡°Helm, four points to starboard!¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be enough!¡± Fultern warned.


    Tash glanced at Raimala, who cried. ¡°Do as I say!¡±


    The Vesper shuddered as her keel rubbed against the submerged rocks. Tash gritted her teeth as she held onto the wheel and shot the Captain a quizzical look.


    ¡°The Pilot has the con,¡± Firch said.


    After a few heart stopping seconds, the shuddering stopped as the Vesper cleared the Twins, and her crew began to breathe again.


    ¡°Helm, ten points to port!¡± Raimala said before giving the captain an apologetic look. ¡°Sorry, Skip, this second turn is the tricky one and I cut it a little too close.¡±


    Firch nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s have no more mistakes, please.¡±


    ¡°Easier said than done,¡± Raimala muttered without taking her eyes off the sea ahead of her.

 Chapter 8

    An undersea shelf rose abruptly from the sea floor, causing tall waves and a swift current, which accelerated the Vesper at an alarming rate. Both her pilot and her helmswoman were bathed in sweat as the latter wrestled with the wheel on the former¡¯s orders as they threaded their way through the treacherous path while the others could only hold on and place their trust in the pair to guide them safely to the other side.


    ¡°Four points to port!¡± Raimala called out as they sailed past a jagged rock that was shaped like a crocodile. ¡°Drop the trysail!¡±


    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth I think she¡¯s doing a fine job,¡± Inder offered as he approached the quarterdeck.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m concerned about,¡± Firch replied as his eyes searched the surrounding seas. ¡°Marsel, do you see any other wrecks out there?¡±


    ¡°No, Captain, nothing but rocks and swells!¡±


    His first mate¡¯s eyes widened in understanding. ¡°You don¡¯t think it was the Relentless that did that to the wreck out there, do you?¡±


    ¡°It was still smouldering,¡± Firch said. ¡°As far as I can tell, the Imperials have been in Avarice for weeks.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s no sign of any other wrecks here, which means that ship made it to the other side,¡± Inder said, finishing the thought. ¡°Only one reason to come through here.¡±


    ¡°Two, actually,¡± the Captain pointed out. ¡°But I can¡¯t think of anything they¡¯d need on Jerning.¡±


    Inder¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°The Murkwater Archipelago? What could the Empire want in there?¡±


    Firch shrugged. ¡°With luck, we¡¯ll never find out.¡±


    ¡°Helm, bring us three points to port,¡± Raimala barked.


    Tash grunted as she put her back into the wheel, but the ship turned slowly. The Captain was the first to react and rushed over to help.


    ¡°Sorry, Captain, it¡¯s the current¡­¡± She gasped.


    ¡°Just push,¡± the Captain said, his voice strained.


    ¡°Full left rudder, full left rudder!¡± Raimala cried.


    Inder lent his aid to the pair and soon, the rudder was turned as far over as it could go. The crew held their breath as the ship turned excruciatingly slowly to avoid an exposed reef up ahead.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to make it,¡± Bardrick breathed.


    ¡°Raise the mainsail!¡± Raimala cried. ¡°The headsail too!¡±


    Bardrick turned around in disbelief. ¡°Have you gone mad?¡±


    ¡°The pilot has the con!¡± Firch roared.


    ¡°Come on, turn!¡± Marsel urged from the crow¡¯s nest.


    The bear of a man uttered a curse as he and Duglin ran towards the lines and began hauling the mainsail up while Elran did the same with the headsail. The Vesper was sailing against the wind and shuddered as she decelerated when the wind filled the raised sails. The vessel heaved to as she entered a sharp turn.


    The ship¡¯s timbers groaned against the strain, and her sails creaked as the wind filled them. The crew held their breaths as the reef disappeared from sight. The only one who could see them now was Fulter, who was perched on the prow. The swordsman, however, gave nothing away as he watched the sea ahead of them impassively.


    ¡°We¡¯ve done all we can,¡± Firch panted.


    ¡°Captain, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Tash began.


    ¡°Stow your apologies, I¡¯ll hear them later,¡± Firch said sharply.


    ¡°We¡¯re passing clear,¡± Fultern called from the prow, and Duglin exhaled.


    His relief was short lived. Moments later, a ripping sound filled the air as a large gash appeared in the mainsail. Before anyone could consider the implications, the ship shuddered her side scraped against a submerged reef. The sickening sound of splintering wood soon followed. Without having to be told, Bardrick sprinted below decks.


    ¡°Duglin, see if you can help!¡± the Captain ordered.


    ¡°Aye, Cap¡¯n!¡± he replied as he scampered after the huge man.


    ¡°Don¡¯t swallow your words, lad!¡± Inder barked as he took their place.


    ¡°Aye, Captain!¡± Duglin repeated before charging down the stairs.


    At the bottom, he found Bardrick, peering into the darkened hold. Duglin could hear the sound of inrushing water but couldn¡¯t tell where it was coming from in the gloom.


    ¡°Should I light a lantern?¡± he offered.


    ¡°Quiet,¡± Bardrick hissed. He listened for a moment more and cursed. ¡°It¡¯s coming from the bilges.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The large man bounded past the stacked crates and opened a small hatch. Once he did, the sound of flowing water grew louder.


    ¡°Get my tools,¡± he growled before lowering himself into the Vesper¡¯s bilge. ¡°And the spare timber in my workshop, the largest pieces you can find!¡±


    Duglin ran towards the rear of the ship where Bardrick¡¯s small workshop was and nearly fell over when the ship heeled over again. He gritted his teeth and held on as the Vesper leaned into another hard turn.


    ¡°Tell them to stop doing that, and to slow down!¡± came Bardrick¡¯s muffled voice. ¡°It¡¯s making the breach worse!¡±


    ¡°There would be more than a large hole in the hull if they didn¡¯t make the turn,¡± the boy thought to himself but didn¡¯t have the courage to say.


    Once the ship was level again, Duglin grabbed the tools and a pair of planks before hurrying back over to the hatch.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought the things,¡± he panted.


    ¡°Good, bring them down here.¡±


    Duglin paused. It was pitch dark in the bilge, and he could tell that it was filling rapidly with water. The hatch was the only way in or out¡­


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I tell them to man the pumps?¡± he stammered.


    ¡°They can¡¯t spare the bodies, and we don¡¯t have the time,¡± Bardrick snapped. ¡°Get down here!¡±


    The boy summoned his courage and carefully lowered himself into the yawning chasm before grabbing the tools and the wood. The Vesper¡¯s bilge was only three feet high, obliging him to crouch walk his way over to the sound of Bardrick¡¯s voice. As he waddled through the bilge, he was alarmed to find that the water was already a third of the way to the top and rising quickly.


    ¡°The gash is huge, feel it,¡± Bardrick ordered as he grabbed one of Duglin¡¯s hands.


    The boy winced as he ran his fingers over the splintered wood, having to fight the flow of inrushing water to do so.


    ¡°Grab the largest plank we have and hold it in place over the gash,¡± Bardrick ordered.


    ¡°The gash is huge,¡± Dulgin protested. ¡°We haven¡¯t any big enough to cover it completely.¡±


    ¡°Find the biggest one and cover it as best you can,¡± the large man ordered patiently.


    The boy grunted as he fought against the flow of water to position the plank over the gash. The ship heeled over again, causing him to lose his footing and fall headfirst into the fast rising water. Taken off guard, he was thoroughly disoriented, not knowing up from down and thrashed helplessly as he attempted to find air.


    Just as panic was about to set in, a strong hand grabbed the back of his shirt and hauled him to the surface.


    ¡°This is no time for games!¡± Bardrick said. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell them to slow down?¡¯


    The water was now so high that Duglin had to tilt his head back to breathe. In a panic, he screamed. ¡°We should pump some of this water out before doing this.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have the time!¡± Bardrick shouted. ¡°Do your job, or we¡¯re sunk!¡±


    Faced with Bardrick¡¯s wrath, Duglin reluctantly submerged his head. The seawater stung his eyes as he forced them open. He attempted to position the plank again, but the water was still flowing in too forcefully. Eventually, Bardrick helped him position it with one hand and held it shut by wedging another plank between it and one of the ship¡¯s ribs. Once the patch was in place, Bardrick began hammering nails in.


    Unable to hold his breath any longer, Duglin kicked to the surface to take in a deep gulp of air and was alarmed to find that the water was almost to the ceiling. He submerged himself again to find Bardrick concentrating on his work. He tapped the bear of a man urgently on the shoulder to signal that they should leave, but Bardrick wouldn¡¯t turn away from his work.


    Duglin tried to look for the hatch but to his horror, found that he had completely lost his bearings. Panic began to set in. They were going to drown. He attempted to stand but found that the water had reached the ceiling. Then, his thoughts became clear. They were both dead men. The least they could do was attempt to save the ship so that their shipmates could be saved.


    Reinvigorated with a sense of purpose, Duglin quickly found another hammer and some nails in Bardrick¡¯s toolbox and set to work hammering the plank into place. He found it difficult to swing the hammer with any force underwater but soon, their task was done. Satisfied that he had done all he could, Duglin felt oddly serene as he floated in the water, having resigned himself to his fate.


    He saw Bardrick give him a confused look and shrugged. The bear of a man scowled before grabbing Duglin by the scruff of the neck and hauling him away. The more experienced crewman quickly found the hatch leading up and practically threw Duglin up into the hold and appeared a moment later, scarcely out of breath.


    ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time to lie around, boy,¡± he growled as Duglin lay gasping on the floor. ¡°Our work isn¡¯t done. We need to man the pump.¡±


    With great effort, Duglin rolled over and followed Bardrick up on deck where the situation was a lot calmer than before. However, as he looked over the side, Duglin was alarmed at just how low they were riding in the water.


    ¡°Over here,¡± Bardrick called as he inserted the long pole that served as an arm into the bilge pump.


    ¡°How bad is it?¡± Firch asked from the quarterdeck.


    ¡°We have a breach below the waterline. We¡¯re lucky the keel wasn¡¯t damaged, but we lost a few planks in the hull. We did what we could but we¡¯re still taking on water,¡± Bardrick replied. ¡°We¡¯ll know more when we¡¯ve pumped some of the water out.¡±


    While the Vesper continued to navigate the Maw, Bardrick and Duglin manned the pump. It was backbreaking duty, and after a few minutes, the boy felt like his arms were about to fall off. It wasn¡¯t until Fultern tapped him on the shoulder that he realized that the seas had calmed, and the ship had slowed down.


    ¡°Want me to take over for a spell?¡± the swordsman offered.


    Duglin couldn¡¯t even muster the strength to reply. Instead, the boy let go of the arm, and collapsed to the ground and summoned a final burst of strength to roll out of the way.


    ¡°That¡¯s dignified,¡± Marsel laughed as she climbed down from the mainmast.


    ¡°The boy¡¯s done well,¡± Bardrick said as he continued to pump. ¡°He deserves a little slack.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, look who the newcomer¡¯s won over,¡± Tash laughed from the helm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mock, I think it¡¯s sweet,¡± Raimala offered. ¡°Bardrick is finally warming up to someone on this ship.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re all quite done,¡± Firch began, killing the buoyant mood in an instant. ¡°Pilot, how far to Jerning?¡±


    Raimala frowned as she consulted her charts. ¡°That depends, Captain. We¡¯re going to have to replace the mainsail, and that¡¯s in worse condition than the one we ripped.¡±


    ¡°Not that we can go at full speed anyway,¡± Bardrick added. ¡°We need to assess the hole first.¡±


    The Captain balled his right hand in a tight fist but kept his face calm. ¡°Marsel, get the spare sail out. Tash and the good doctor can help with the rigging. Bardrick, continue pumping for another ten minutes then take Duglin below to assess the situation.¡±


    Bardrick cast an incredulous eye on the boy who was still splayed out on the deck. ¡°Him, Captain?¡±


    Firch nodded. ¡°It¡¯s about time the boy learned a trade. I think carpentry is as good as any.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not much of a teacher,¡± Bardrick warned.


    ¡°You¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Inder chuckled as he took Bardrick¡¯s place on the pump. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re always complaining about how much you have to do around the ship.¡±


    ¡°Teaching the young is an important responsibility in our society,¡± Elran said as he climbed the mast to help dismantle the mainsail. ¡°Think of it as leaving your legacy.¡±


    Marsel made a face. ¡°Now there¡¯s a revolting thought.¡±


    Bardrick scowled as he massaged his sore arms and kicked Duglin in the ribs. ¡°Get up, boy, your apprenticeship as a ship¡¯s carpenter starts now.¡±

 Chapter 9

    The Vesper glided silently over the waves as she approached the darkened shape of an island that was silhouetted against the rising moon. The sounds of thundering surf filled Duglin¡¯s ears as Tash turned the wheel to angle their ship towards a lantern on the shore. Soon, a beach appeared out of the gloom.


    On the pilot¡¯s order, the stern anchor was released. It landed with a splash, and Duglin used a gloved hand to help guide the rope out. Then came a gentle nudge as the Vesper¡¯s keel struck sand. The boy grabbed onto a gunwale to steady himself as the ship¡¯s momentum carried her further up the gently sloping beach before eventually coming to a stop.


    ¡°We¡¯re aground, Skip,¡± she breathed.


    ¡°Very good,¡± Firch said. ¡°Let¡¯s see how bad it is.¡±


    While the others lowered the Vesper¡¯s rowboat into the water, Bardrick dropped a rope ladder over the side and gestured for Duglin to follow down onto the shore. They were joined by the Captain and Fultern, who was waiting with his lantern and together, they walked around the ship, coming to a halt at a large gash in the hull close to her port bow.


    After examining it for a moment, Bardrick let out a long sigh. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as I first thought. We¡¯ll need to replace three planks.¡±


    ¡°If we can find seasoned planks in Jerning, can you complete the repairs while underway?¡± Firch asked.


    The bear of a man shook his head slowly. ¡°It¡¯s possible, but better to get it done while we¡¯re at least stationary to make sure it¡¯s done right.¡±


    Firch frowned. ¡°How long will that take?¡±


    Bardrick shrugged his massive shoulders. ¡°A couple of hours, I¡¯d wager.¡±


    ¡°And if we can¡¯t find seasoned timber?¡± The Captain asked.


    ¡°It could save an hour, but it would leak before too long,¡± the carpenter warned.


    ¡°Whatever gets us underway quickly,¡± Firch said. ¡°I have a feeling we¡¯ll need to sail at full speed before long.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t be able to without a new mainsail, Captain,¡± Marsel warned from the deck above them.


    ¡°I took a look at the mast, Captain,¡± Bardrick added. ¡°It¡¯s due for replacement as well. I wouldn¡¯t recommend sailing at full speed until it''s replaced.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t afford the time,¡± Firch remarked. ¡°But if we did find a replacement, could you fashion planks from the old one?¡±


    ¡°For the decking, sure,¡± Bardrick replied. ¡°But not for the hull. The mast has been weakened and splintered from¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to the village and see what they have,¡± Firch said. ¡°If they have what we need, can you fit it all on the launch?¡±


    ¡°Everything except a mast,¡± Bardrick frowned as he looked at the launch. ¡°It¡¯ll be awkward, but it should be doable.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you, the boy, Inder and I will be taking a trip into town,¡± Firch said. ¡°The rest of you stay here and repair what you can with what we have.¡±


    ¡°Aw, why them?¡± Tash asked.


    Firch looked up to see the rest of his crew looking over the side at them. ¡°The rest of you have work to do.¡±


    The Captain then turned to Fultern. ¡°I¡¯m leaving you in charge of the ship. There should be fresh water around a quarter mile inland. You can send Tash and the doctor to fill a few barrels. We¡¯ll signal with a red flare if it¡¯s safe to come, so keep a lookout. Meanwhile, keep an eye on our guests, and if we¡¯re not back before dusk, bring Vesper and come looking for us.¡±


    The swordsman nodded. ¡°I must warn you that I don¡¯t know how to command a ship.¡±


    ¡°Jerning is but two leagues away,¡± Firch said. ¡°The crew will know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Fultern agreed.


    ¡°So, is that the chain of command?¡± Tash asked. ¡°Fultern is second mate?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s third, behind me,¡± Bardrick said.


    ¡°Fultern is second mate,¡± Firch said. ¡°Marsel, I want you to do what you can to repair the sails.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Captain!¡± she called.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel my place is on the ship,¡± Inder remarked as he descended the ladder. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s wise for both of us to go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to see Dernish alone,¡± Firch said.


    Inder¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°That old dog ended up on Jerning?¡±


    Firch nodded. ¡°He¡¯s built quite the information network for himself in this area, or so I¡¯m told.¡±


    ¡°I thought we were the only ones skulking out on the edge of civilization,¡± Inder said as he looked out towards the sea. ¡°So, Dernish is here¡­ it¡¯ll be good to see him again.¡±


    Firch chuckled and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure we¡¯re thinking about the same person.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think of all of them fondly¡­ except the Captain, Gods curse his soul,¡± Inder frowned. ¡°Should I fetch something from your sideboard?¡±


    Firch laughed and shook his head. ¡°Gods no. We don¡¯t want to encourage him, do we?¡±


    ¡°Should we bring weapons?¡± Bardrick asked.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not going in looking for a fight,¡± Firch replied.


    ¡°And yet¡­¡± Bardrick said, looking pointedly at the cutlass and pistol in his Captain¡¯s belt.


    ¡°I¡¯m only bringing these along because,¡± Firch began breezily as he rested a hand on each weapon. ¡°These scallywags will steal anything that¡¯s not nailed down if Inder and I aren¡¯t on board.¡±


    The small launch bobbed in the waves as Inder, Duglin, and Bardrick struggled to maintain her position. The Captain stood on the prow, riding the waves easily as he studied the darkened village in the distance with a spyglass.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°Well, Captain?¡± Inder asked. ¡°Any sign of them?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Firch said. ¡°No Imperial ship, but there appears to have been a fire on the western edge of the village.¡±


    Inder frowned. ¡°Could have just been an accident.¡±


    ¡°Could have been,¡± Firch agreed absently.


    Inder looked to the east where the sun¡¯s first rays had appeared over the horizon, staining the sky orange. ¡°Last chance to leave, Captain. Someone¡¯s going to see us before long.¡±


    ¡°We go in,¡± Firch said at length.


    ¡°What about the Imperial ship?¡± Bardrick asked. ¡°Makes sense for them to stop by here after passing through the Maw. They might have left people behind.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll keep a low profile,¡± Firch said. ¡°Row slowly, we don¡¯t want to arrive while it¡¯s still dark. That will make us look suspicious.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll look plenty suspicious arriving on a launch instead of a ship, Captain,¡± Inder pointed out as they began rowing towards the village.


    ¡°That much can¡¯t be helped,¡± Firch said. ¡°If Bardrick is right and there are Imperials in that port, the last thing we want to do is sail in with contraband in our holds.¡±


    ¡°Opposed to leaving them with an Imperial Agent on our ship,¡± Bardrick remarked.


    ¡°We¡¯re making the best of a bad situation,¡± Firch said.


    As the sun rose, so too did the temperature. Soon, the sun was beating down on the launch¡¯s occupants. Firch was wearing his tricorne, while Inder and Bardrick found wide brimmed hats under their bench. As they donned them, Firch looked at Duglin.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your hat?¡±


    ¡°I left it on the ship,¡± the boy said sheepishly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh for pity¡¯s sake!¡± Bardrick cried.


    ¡°Oi!¡± Duglin gasped as the large man tore an end off his shirt.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing you a favour lad,¡± Inder pointed out.


    Bardrick draped the soaking scrap of cloth over Duglin¡¯s head so that it was covering his neck and tied it in place with a length of string.


    ¡°There,¡± he said. ¡°That will do for now.¡±


    A crowd was waiting for them when the launch arrived on the beach fronting the village. Their eyes were wary, and they seemed content to keep their distance as the new arrivals drew nearer.


    ¡°We should have brought guns,¡± Bardrick growled as he eyed the villagers. Two carried makeshift spears while were armed with knives and hammers.


    ¡°Because they¡¯re not wary of us enough as it is,¡± Inder scoffed.


    When the launch bottomed, Inder, Firch, and Bardrick hopped out into the knee deep surf, leaving Duglin to haul their boat up the beach. The villagers watched impassively as they approached, and Firch raised his arms and looked over at Inder.


    ¡°Go on, greet the natives,¡± he whispered.


    Inder¡¯s eyebrows shot up in surprise and he pointed an incredulous finger at his own chest. ¡°Me?¡±


    Firch winked. ¡°Something tells me they¡¯ll respond to you better.¡±


    Inder shook his head before turning to the crowd and forcing a smile. ¡°Good morning, people of Jerning¡­¡±


    The first mate looked helplessly at his Captain when the crowd continued to stare stonily at them. ¡°Some help?¡±


    ¡°Inder Fley, as I live and breathe, is that really you?¡± a loud voice bellowed from the rear of the crowd.


    Firch chuckled and shook his head as a stout, middle-aged man with a florid complexion barged his way to the front of the crowd.


    ¡°Gods above, it is!¡± he roared when he set eyes on Inder.


    The first mate¡¯s eyes widened in alarm as the ample bellied man lunged forward to embrace him in a bear hug.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you!¡± the florid man exclaimed. ¡°How many years has it been?¡±


    ¡°Five!¡± Inder gasped as he struggled to break free. ¡°It¡¯s been five years!¡±


    Eventually, the man released Inder and grinned broadly. ¡°So it has. So, what brings you to the arse end of nowhere? Are you chasing¡­¡±


    ¡°Dernish!¡± a thin man with a mop of white hair said sharply.


    ¡°Oh, this is an old shipmate, Sterval!¡± Dernish snapped. ¡°Besides, he doesn¡¯t need money, do you, Inder?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Inder began.


    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t!¡± Dernish cried. ¡°So, whose crew did you end up serving under? Wait, don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re captaining your own crew now, aren¡¯t you? Of course, you are!¡±


    Firch stepped forward and pulled his tricorne off his head. ¡°Well, as it happens, he¡¯s my first mate.¡±


    Dernish stared at the young Captain in confusion for a moment. Then, realization slowly crept across his face, and he broke into a broad smile.


    ¡°Firch Seager!¡± he exclaimed as he embraced the young man. ¡°My how you¡¯ve grown! You¡¯re a captain now?¡±


    He then whirled around at Inder. ¡°And you¡¯re working under him?¡±


    Inder offered an embarrassed smile. ¡°Well, a lot¡¯s happened since we got back¡­¡±


    ¡°Come to my home, we can catch up there, away from prying ears!¡± Dernish said once he released Firch from his clutches.


    ¡°The whole village will hear every word anyway with that voice of yours,¡± the man called Sterval said as he walked up to Firch. ¡°You¡¯re the captain, so I assume you have a ship with more crew?¡¯


    Firch nodded carefully. ¡°I do. They are close by.¡±


    ¡°We have a job for you,¡± he said. ¡°Our town doesn¡¯t have much, but we will spare you all that we can if you do it for us. Dernish can give you the details.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re a little pressed for time,¡± Firch said as Dernish and Sterval exchanged nods. ¡°But I will hear him out.¡±


    Sterval tugged the peak of his cap and nodded. ¡°Much obliged.¡±


    He then turned around to the other villagers and raised his arms. ¡°Alright, nothing more to see here. Just some of Dernish¡¯s old friends here to pay him a visit. Back to work everyone, there are fields to tend, nets to mend, houses to fix.¡±


    ¡°I know that tone, lad. You¡¯re in a big old hurry,¡± Dernish observed once the villagers dispersed. ¡°So, what brings you to my little corner of nowhere?¡±


    ¡°I have cannons to sell,¡± Firch said at once. ¡°They¡¯re Imperial, and stamped, so no one within their sphere of influence will touch them.¡±


    ¡°I take it they¡¯re more than just marked,¡± Dernish remarked.


    Firch nodded. ¡°They¡¯re long nines, the latest in Imperial technology. Anyone who has a passing knowledge of cannons will recognize them as such even if we file the markings off.¡±


    Dernish nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a funny coincidence.¡±


    "What is?¡± Firch asked.


    ¡°An Imperial frigate came by not two days ago,¡± Dernish said.


    ¡°The Nomad?¡± Inder asked.


    Dernish¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve encountered them?¡±


    ¡°We saw them from a distance,¡± Firch said. ¡°What are the Imperials doing in this neck of the woods?¡±


    ¡°They tracked some unminted silver back to our little village,¡± Dernish replied. ¡°Wanted to know where we got it from.¡±


    Firch arched an eyebrow. ¡°Someone struck silver out here? That could get a lot of people killed. What were they thinking, sending it out unminted?¡±


    Dernish scratched the back of his head. ¡°See, that¡¯s the thing. I happened to get my hands on an old Imperial die, but my boys can only strike so many at a time, so we use unminted coins to trade amongst the few islands in this little stretch of sea.¡±


    ¡°Someone slipped up,¡± Inder observed.


    ¡°Aye, I¡¯m afraid so,¡± Dernish shook his head. ¡°And now a coin has fallen into the worst possible hands.¡±


    Bardrick frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Why does the Empire care about an undocumented mine that isn¡¯t in their waters?¡±


    Inder shook his head. ¡°I fear it¡¯s not the Empire that is concerned with the mine, it¡¯s the commander of that vessel.¡±


    ¡°Is that the job?¡± Firch asked.


    Dernish shook his head. ¡°No, that¡¯s the payment. The owners of that mine are about to get a visit from an Imperial commander wanting to claim it for himself. I¡¯d wager they¡¯re willing to pay handsomely for the latest Imperial cannons to defend their claim. Help us with our problem, and I¡¯ll tell you where they are. Hells, I¡¯ll even strike whatever silver he pays you into bonafide Imperial currency if you help us.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Inder said, holding up a hand. ¡°One of your people told this Imperial commander where the mine is?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s connected to our issue,¡± Dernish said. ¡°The commander had a witch with him. He turned her on us, tried to have her probe our minds. She said she couldn¡¯t, but he insisted. Poor Lindsel¡¯s head blew up in front of the whole village. It was horrific, and Sterval told him where the mine was straight away.¡±


    Duglin¡¯s blood froze when he thought of the witch they had as a passenger. He glanced at Bardrick, who shot him a look telling him to stay quiet.


    ¡°Unfortunately, doing that drove the witch insane,¡± Dernish paused and gestured at the dense jungle further inland. ¡°She burned down half our village before fleeing into the jungle. In the two nights since she went crazy, we¡¯ve heard her cackling. No one¡¯s had a wink of sleep. We fear she¡¯ll come out at any moment to finish us off.¡±


    ¡°So you want us to go in there and kill her?¡± Inder asked.


    ¡°Kill her, capture her and get her off the island if you think you can,¡± Dernish said. ¡°Whatever it takes.¡±


    ¡°How far away is this silver mine?¡± Firch asked. ¡°Its location is no good to us if the Imperial commander is already there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in the Murkwater,¡± Dernish grinned. ¡°Deep in the Murkwater. So deep that even we don¡¯t have charts, only a vague description of how to get there. You can catch up with a two day head start easily.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s likely to be more than two days by the time we set out,¡± Firch pointed out.


    Dernish slapped Firch on the back, causing the young man to wince. ¡°You¡¯ll find a way. Besides, they were limping. Must have come here through the Maw.¡±


    Firch turned his gaze towards the jungle and nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°So, will you take the job?¡± Dernish asked hopefully.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to consult the rest of my crew.¡±

 Chapter 10

    It was high noon by the time the Vesper pulled into the bay. She dropped anchor a good two cables from the beach, and the tension on board was palpable as Firch and the others rowed the launch back to their ship. As they approached the Vesper, the rope ladder was lowered, and lines were tossed. When the Captain climbed aboard, he found the crew gathered around, looking at him expectantly.


    ¡°I know you have questions,¡± he said. ¡°But first, I need to speak with our guest.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? How did it go?¡± they asked softly once the Captain had disappeared into his cabin.


    Those who had accompanied the Captain didn¡¯t reply. They could only stare at his cabin door and pray.


    At length, Bardrick could take it no longer and turned to Inder. ¡°You¡¯ve known the Captain for the longest. Talk him out of this madness.¡±


    ¡°You know how he is when he gets like that,¡± the first mate shot back. ¡°There¡¯s no talking him down.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Raimala asked nervously. ¡°What happened¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out when the Captain makes his decision,¡± Inder snarled. The venom in the first mate¡¯s voice caused the dark skinned woman to take an involuntary step back.


    Time ticked on, and the sun was relentless, but no one dared move as they stared at the door, waiting for their Captain to emerge with a decision. Duglin didn¡¯t know if five minutes or five hours had elapsed when the door eventually creaked open. Several moments later, the Captain emerged with their two passengers.


    ¡°Our guest has graciously agreed to help,¡± Firch said simply to his waiting crew.


    Inder was the first to protest. ¡°This is lunacy, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Captain, think about what you¡¯re doing!¡± Bardrick cried.


    Firch raised a hand, and the deck was quiet again. ¡°This jaunt is strictly voluntary. I will be going with our guests. If you are willing, I want Fultern and Marsel to come with me. I will not think less of you if you refuse.¡±


    ¡°I will go,¡± Fultern said without hesitation.


    Marsel, however, cleared her throat nervously. ¡°What is it we are to do?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going on a witch hunt,¡± he replied. ¡°In exchange, we will receive the location of a buyer for our cargo and any provisions the good people of Jerning can spare, including spare canvas and wood.¡±


    The red haired young woman wavered, and Tash took her hand and held it tight. At length, Marsel gathered her courage and nodded. ¡°I will go, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Firch said and turned to Inder. ¡°Get a musket, powder, and shot for her from the arms locker.¡±


    ¡°Captain, I¡¯m coming too,¡± Inder offered.


    Firch shook his head. ¡°If anything happens to us, I need you to take command. Lead this ship and her crew to safety. Then, the ship is yours to do with as you please.¡±


    The Captain then turned to address his crew. ¡°I know what we are about to do is dangerous. If we do not return by morning, put this island in your wake and never return. If I die, my contract with Darnall dies with me. There is nothing he can do so long as you do not return to Avarice.¡±


    ¡°Is this the only way, Captain?¡± Tash asked.


    ¡°It is the way I¡¯ve chosen,¡± Firch replied. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯re headed out with a professional.¡±


    Tash was about to bite back but stopped when Marsel grabbed her by the arm.


    ¡°Wait, do both of them have to go with you?¡± Bardrick asked, gesturing at both their passengers.


    ¡°Trust me, you don¡¯t want her on board without him present,¡± Inder warned.


    ¡°The villagers will bring what we need once I tell the headman we¡¯re taking the job,¡± Firch continued. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ve been left with an easy task just because you¡¯re not going. I want this ship in top condition when I return.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re taking our sailmaker with you,¡± Tash pointed out. There was venom in her voice, and the muscular woman¡¯s lip quivered as she attempted to hold back tears.


    ¡°She can repair our sails while we¡¯re underway,¡± Firch replied.


    ¡°Captain, I have an important question for the crew,¡± the witch hunter said. ¡°It pertains to our little excursion.¡±


    Firch nodded brusquely.


    ¡°Is anyone here a virgin?¡± Andar asked. ¡°I am one myself, it is nothing to be ashamed of, but vital to our chances of success.¡±


    Duglin¡¯s cheek colours when he noticed everyone was looking his way.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± Firch asked.


    ¡°A witch¡¯s power is less potent against virgins,¡± Andar explained. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt to have as many as we can get with us.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just a boy,¡± Firch pointed out. ¡°He won¡¯t be of any help.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you shouldn¡¯t underestimate the abilities of youth,¡± Andar tutted. ¡°You of all people should realize that.¡±


    ¡°Well?¡± Bardrick asked. ¡°Are you?¡±


    At length, the boy nodded.


    ¡°Will you come with us?¡± Firch asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Duglin said softly. ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the Captain said. ¡°Do you know how to use a pistol?¡±


    ¡°In theory,¡± he began.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°He¡¯s not been on the crew long enough to be trained in gunnery, Captain,¡± Inder pointed out.


    ¡°Draw a pistol for him all the same,¡± Firch said. ¡°If everything goes to plan, he won¡¯t need it.¡±


    Bardrick cleared his throat awkwardly. ¡°I think a dagger would be a safer choice, Captain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m inclined to agree,¡± Inder added. ¡°Things could get chaotic, and the boy is just as likely to shoot himself or worse, one of you as he is the witch.¡±


    ¡°Get him both,¡± Firch ordered.


    ¡°But Captain!¡± Inder and Bardrick protested in unison.


    ¡°Things are likely to get dangerous out there,¡± Firch said sharply. ¡°And when push comes to shove, I¡¯m going to need someone I can count on, not a passenger.¡±


    The Captain then turned to Duglin. ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    The boy nodded meekly.


    ¡°And knowing this, do you still want to come?¡± Firch asked.


    ¡°I do, Captain,¡± the boy said with more conviction this time. ¡°Good, now don¡¯t forget your hat and your flask.¡±


    ¡°One more thing before we leave, Captain,¡± the witch hunter said. ¡°I would like to say a prayer of thanks at your shrine to Manes. To give thanks for our safe landfall.¡±


    Inder smirked. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have one of those on board, sir.¡±


    Andar blinked in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s unusual.¡±


    ¡°The Gods are fickle,¡± Firch said. ¡°I have no use for something I can¡¯t count on when my back¡¯s to the wall on my ship.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I could pray at the one ashore?¡± he asked.


    Firch shook his head. ¡°A witch is terrorizing this village. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll take kindly to either of you. Manes can wait until we arrive at Darvigan to hear your prayers.¡±


    When the shore party returned to the beach, Dernish was waiting for them alone. He eyed the chained witch and shook his head. ¡°Two witches on my island in the same week. I think it¡¯s time I found a new island to live on.¡±


    The stout man then took Firch aside. ¡°You know he¡¯s an Imperial Agent, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I told him an Imperial ship dropped this witch off when she went mad,¡± Firch replied. ¡°It¡¯s how I convinced him to help. He said he would be cleaning their mess.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all well and fine,¡± Dernish replied. ¡°But what are you going to do when you come up against the Nomad?¡±


    ¡°If everything goes to plan, we won¡¯t,¡± Firch said.


    As he was about to return to the others, Dernish grabbed him by the arm. ¡°Don¡¯t you wonder what I¡¯m doing out here in the arse end of nowhere? With my share of the spoils, I could have lived out the rest of my days in luxury in Cestia.¡±


    Firch shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t. I figured you¡¯d tell me if you felt the need.¡±


    ¡°Well, I feel the need,¡± Dernish said. He shot a glance over at the witch hunter before continuing. ¡°The Empire¡¯s taken an interest in our old crewmates.¡±


    ¡°Nothing unusual there,¡± Firch remarked. ¡°We are the only ones to return alive from the lands beyond the Southern Maelstrom.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing,¡± Dernish continued. ¡°All the lads who settled down in Imperial territory? Missing. Can¡¯t catch a whiff of them.¡±


    Firch frowned. ¡°Any number of things could have¡­¡±


    Dernish¡¯s grip tightened around Firch¡¯s arm. ¡°It¡¯s mighty fishy, is all I¡¯m saying¡­ You can¡¯t trust the Empire nor its agents.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me that,¡± Firch scoffed. He attempted to pull his arm free, but Dernish held fast.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m happy you¡¯re here to help us out, but why are you doing something as dangerous as transporting those two all the way out here?¡±


    ¡°I need the money,¡± Firch replied. ¡°I was only cabin boy. Buying the Vesper and making her seaworthy cost every penny I earned from that voyage.¡±


    ¡°But what about Inder?¡± Dernish protested. ¡°He was third mate!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my place to say. Now, where was the witch last heard?¡±


    Dernish looked at Firch for a moment before releasing his arm and pointing into the burnt out end of the village. ¡°She¡¯s been approaching the village from that end ever since she lost her mind, but no one has dared go in to actually look for her.¡±


    Firch nodded. ¡°See to it that the things we ordered are sent to my ship. If we¡¯re not back by morning, you should evacuate the village. My crew can help.¡±


    ¡°And if you come back safely, I¡¯m not letting you go until we¡¯ve drunk every drop of alcohol on this poxy island!¡± Dernish cried before breaking into uproarious laughter as he made his way back to the village.


    ¡°I should warn you, I don¡¯t drink,¡± Andar said when the Captain glanced at him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Firch said.


    As they set off, the blindfolded witch stumbled and let out a muffled yelp as the witch hunter hauled her up by the chain around her neck.


    ¡°Can she shoot spells from her eyes?¡± Firch asked irritably.


    Andar gave him a blank look. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Can this witch cast spells using her eyes?¡±


    The witch hunter shook his head slowly. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of any that can¡­¡±


    ¡°Then it ought to be safe to remove her blindfold at the very least, don¡¯t you think?¡± Firch suggested. ¡°That way, we might get to the jungle before nightfall.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± The witch hunter looked at his prisoner for a moment, clearly not liking the prospect of her being able to see but unable to think of a compelling argument to keep the blindfold on. Reluctantly, he removed it. Though he only saw them for a moment before she squeezed them shut against the noon sun, Duglin thought her deep blue eyes were the most striking he had ever seen.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Andar growled as he tugged on her chain.


    ¡°I¡¯d refrain from doing that as well,¡± Firch growled. ¡°She¡¯ll drown if she throws up with that thing around her mouth and I made a contract to get both of you to Darvigan alive.¡±


    Anger flashed across the witch hunter¡¯s face, but he hid it quickly with a broad smile. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, Captain.¡±


    Duglin was already struggling with the nausea that came with being in the presence of the witch hunter when a fresh wave hit him as soon as he set foot in the burnt out quarter of the village. Before he could stop himself, his stomach launched its contents at least three feet in front of him. Marsel, who was walking beside him, contorted her face with disgust before doing the same.


    ¡°I apologize, I had to intensify my powers for our protection,¡± Andar said as he touched a charred frame that was all that remained of a small home. ¡°Yes, this is the work of a witch¡­ one that has lost control¡­¡±


    ¡°Does that happen often?¡± Firch asked, keeping his hands on his weapons as he eyed the witch warily. ¡°Them losing control?¡±


    ¡°Not with Imperial Spellflingers,¡± Andar replied. ¡°It¡¯s a key part of their training. She must have done something she was unaccustomed to doing¡­ but any commander who has one serving under him should know better¡­ I should quite like to meet this man.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t,¡± Firch said. ¡°So what happens when a witch loses control?¡±


    ¡°She goes mad,¡± Andar replied. ¡°Being connected to the magical forces that flow through our world is a constant battle to maintain one¡¯s sanity. It requires unimaginable willpower, but once the will is broken¡­ think of her as a critically damaged dam. What remains is doing its best to hold the water at bay, but eventually, it will fail¡­¡±


    ¡°How can you tell the dam hasn¡¯t burst altogether?¡± Firch asked.


    ¡°She would have burned this whole island down if she had completely lost control,¡± Andar replied.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not planning on mending this dam,¡± Firch warned. ¡°I have no intention of taking another witch on board. Especially not an unstable one.¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Andar said. ¡°Her only salvation would be if there was a Sentinel on this island that we could somehow force her into. Attempting to get her any further would be far too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we agree,¡± Firch said.


    Duglin happened to glance at the witch at that moment and saw the hatred in her eyes as she glared at his Captain. The boy then realized that his hand was coiled tight around his pistol and jerked it away. Then, the hairs on his neck stood on end. Moments later, a blood curdling screech filled the air, and Duglin found it hard to breathe. It felt like a hand had coiled itself around his heart and was beginning to squeeze. Then, the screech stopped.


    ¡°Pick yourselves up,¡± Firch¡¯s voice was pitiless. ¡°That didn¡¯t come from far away.¡±


    ¡°So, this Imperial commander drives a witch insane, leaves her on this island and sails away,¡± Marsel croaked as she staggered to her feet. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem very responsible of him.¡±


    ¡°What else could he have done?¡± Andar said. ¡°Only a witch hunter or another witch has the means to stop an out of control witch.¡±


    The Captain glanced at the witch hunter, who now clutched a staff in his hands. ¡°If you¡¯ve gleaned all you can from here, might I suggest we go in before she burns this island to cinders?¡±


    The witch hunter¡¯s face was white and bathed with sweat. Slowly, he nodded, and Firch gestured to Fultern. ¡°You take the lead. Marsel, Duglin, bring up the rear. If you see anything that walks on two legs in there that isn¡¯t one of us, you shoot first and ask questions later, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Aye, Captain.¡±

 Chapter 11

    The forest was eerily quiet, devoid of the sounds of its inhabitants. It was as though even the trees were watching the proceedings with bated breath as Fultern padded through burnt out underbrush.


    Marsel raised the butt of her musket to her shoulder and hissed at Duglin. ¡°Ready your weapon!¡±


    The boy whipped his pistol out and began to wave it around. His heart pounded as he pictured the witch lurking in every shadow, waiting for an opportunity to pounce and burn them to ashes.


    ¡°Stop that, you fool!¡± Marsel cried as she grabbed Duglin¡¯s pistol.


    She winced as the boy accidentally pulled the trigger, bringing the hammer down on the finger she had positioned to avoid a misfire. ¡°You¡¯re going to get one of us killed.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°Give me that,¡± she snapped as she snatched the weapon out of his hands and unpinched her finger before handing the pistol back to Duglin.


    ¡°Hold it with both hands and keep it pointed at the ground,¡± she said. ¡°Keep your finger off the trigger until you have a target, do you understand?¡±


    Duglin bobbed his head and looked down at Marsel¡¯s finger. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that¡­¡±


    ¡°Apologies can wait, keep your eyes open.¡±


    ¡°Have you sorted him out?¡± Firch asked.


    ¡°Aye, Captain.¡±


    The Captain then turned to Andar. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have any powers that can detect our quarry?¡±


    The witch hunter shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll all sense it when an unbound witch is near.¡±


    He paused and cocked his head at his prisoner. ¡°However, I should warn you that my powers are limited while I¡¯m focused on suppressing her.¡±


    Firch¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°You could have mentioned that sooner!¡±


    ¡°And would you have had me leave her behind on your ship?¡± Andar ventured. ¡°Or perhaps come on this jaunt without me?¡±


    Firch frowned as he looked around the jungle before turning back to the witch hunter. ¡°It¡¯s a little late, but I need you to explain how your powers work.¡±


    Andar broke into a coy smile. ¡°Better late than never, I suppose.¡±


    He took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°We call the source of the witch¡¯s power the aether a magical energy that cannot ordinarily manifest in this world.¡±


    Firch nodded. ¡°I¡¯m with you so far¡­¡±


    ¡°Witches act as a conduit, channelling the aether¡¯s energy into our world,¡± Andar paused to gesture at the burnt undergrowth. ¡°How they channel it can achieve differing results.¡±


    ¡°And where do you come in?¡± Firch asked.


    ¡°We witch hunters are born with the innate ability to block the aether from our surroundings completely,¡± he replied. ¡°If we focus, we can increase the range of this blocking effect.¡±


    ¡°Is that why we feel so strange around you?¡± Duglin blurted.


    The witch hunter nodded. ¡°Clever boy. All humans save for those with our ability have some sensitivity to the aether, and I¡¯m told that it feels disorienting when you feel too much or too little of a connection to it, which is why both we and witches make normal people feel uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°And just how much experience do you have hunting witches while impaired in this manner?¡¯ Firch ventured.


    Andar rubbed the back of his bald head and smiled ruefully. ¡°Truth be told, none. I¡¯m but a novice who is only trusted with escorting prisoners.¡±


    The Captain stepped forward and grabbed the witch hunter roughly by the collar, causing him to drop the witch¡¯s chain. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to mention that when I came asking for your help?¡±


    ¡°What would you have done differently Captain?¡± the witch hunter asked, standing firm in the face of Firch¡¯s fury.


    ¡°Not agreed to help,¡± he hissed.


    ¡°Then I was right to keep my mouth shut,¡± Andar said defiantly. ¡°It is my duty to protect the people from witches and¡­¡±


    ¡°Gentlemen!¡± Marsel hissed. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time or the place!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right, Captain,¡± Fultern offered.


    Firch fumed at the witch hunter for a moment before releasing him from his grip. He then turned to his crew. ¡°That¡¯s it, we¡¯re heading back.¡±


    He then turned back to the witch hunter. ¡°When we get back to the ship, you and I are going to have a lengthy talk about lying through omission.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it, Captain,¡± Andar said, his voice equally low and dangerous. ¡°Then perhaps you will tell me the real reason for our detour from Darvigan.¡±


    ¡°Captain!¡± Duglin cried, holding up his arm in alarm. The hairs on it were standing on their ends.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Andar¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°She¡¯s here!¡±


    Moments later, Duglin tasted metal as a wall of fire expanded quickly from the undergrowth to their left. Before anyone could react, their prisoner charged into Duglin, knocking the boy and Marsel, who had been standing close behind off their feet and out of the wall of fire¡¯s path. Together, the trio tumbled down a steep slope for what felt like an eternity until a tree brought Duglin to an abrupt halt, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Moments later, his agony was compounded when the other two came crashing into him.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Marsel groaned.


    ¡°She knocked us over the edge,¡± Duglin croaked. He attempted to move but saw stars from the pain in his leg and chest. ¡°I think I¡¯m in trouble over here.¡±


    Marsel gingerly got to her feet and her eyes went wide when she looked down at him. Duglin followed her gaze and could scarcely believe that a broken piece of branch protruded through his side. Initially, the boy thought he was dreaming, but the pain soon informed him otherwise.


    Marsel went pale as she looked around frantically. ¡°You can¡¯t be moved. I¡¯ll have to go back to the ship and get the doctor...¡±


    The witch, who had picked herself up, attempted to speak, but her voice was muffled by the gag locked around her mouth. She began stamping her feet while frantically looking at Duglin¡¯s wounds.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s bad,¡± Marsel snapped. ¡°Thanks to you knocking us down that hill.¡±


    The witch continued to make muffled sounds and mimed pulling the gag off with her chained hands.


    ¡°I think she wants¡­ wants you to take that off,¡± Duglin wheezed. The pain was growing stronger as the shock wore off and he found it increasingly more difficult to breathe.


    The witch attempted to touch Marsel, but the young woman backed away and raised her rifle at her. ¡°Stay away from me!¡±


    The witch rolled her eyes before reaching down and touching Duglin¡¯s face. The boy then heard a woman¡¯s voice in his head. ¡°Take this off me so that I can heal you. Hurry, you haven¡¯t much time!¡±


    ¡°Stop that!¡± Marsel shrieked.


    ¡°She says that she can help if you take the thing out of her mouth,¡± Duglin said weakly.


    ¡°She¡¯s lying!¡± Marsel cried. ¡°She¡¯ll kill us both!¡±


    ¡°Hurry,¡± Duglin managed, his voice scarcely a whisper. ¡°Not much time¡­¡±


    Marsel looked between the pair for a moment before cursing roundly. She lowered her gun and fished a pair of steel hairpins from her pocket. ¡°If you cross us, I swear to all the Gods that I¡¯ll put a bullet between your eyes.¡±


    Her fingers worked deftly, and soon the lock around the witch¡¯s gag popped open. Marsel backed away swiftly and trained her gun on the witch as she removed the gag. The witch then crouched over Duglin and attempted to speak but instead began coughing violently.


    ¡°Water,¡± Duglin said weakly as he lowered his gaze to the flask at his hip. ¡°Drink¡­¡±


    Once the witch had drunk her fill, she began chanting a spell. Duglin felt his hair stand on end and tasted metal. He groaned in pain when the branches that had pierced him burned into ash.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± Marsel cried.


    With the branches no longer pinning him in place, Duglin slumped to the ground. The witch began chanting a different spell and touched her hands to his wounds. They were searing hot, and Duglin would have cried out in pain if he had the strength. As she continued chanting, the pain subsided, until it was replaced with a dull ache.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done what I can,¡± the witch panted. Her brow was now bathed with sweat. ¡°He needs rest, but he should live.¡±


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Marsel asked without lowering her musket.


    ¡°Better,¡± was all Duglin could say.


    ¡°If the two of you have brains at all, you¡¯ll keep what I did from the witch hunter,¡± the witch warned.


    The witch paused to take another long drink of water before adding. ¡°In fact, you¡¯re better off just keeping it to yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Duglin croaked.


    ¡°So what now?¡± Marsel asked as she eyed the witch warily. ¡°Are you going to ride off into the sunset?¡±


    The witch held her shackled hands up theatrically before arching an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I could convince you to take these off?¡±


    Marsel frowned. ¡°And let¡¯s say I don¡¯t?¡±


    The witch shrugged. ¡°Perhaps I burn you alive.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Duglin managed. ¡°She could have killed us both and made a run for it but didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°She wants the manacles off,¡± Marsel pointed out.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this,¡± the witch said as she looked around.


    Duglin followed her gaze and saw they were deep in the jungle. The light was dim, and the undergrowth dense. As the feeling returned to his extremities, he felt a thousand tiny feet crawling over them. He looked down and saw ants, millipedes, beetles, and all other manner of insects scurrying over his body in an effort to escape something.


    ¡°She is coming,¡± the witch whispered.


    ¡°Who is?¡± Marsel asked.


    The witch looked at her and made an exasperated face. ¡°Who do you think?¡±


    ¡°What do you suppose happened to the Captain and the others?¡± Marsel ventured.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to worry about that,¡± the witch said and looked down at Duglin. ¡°Can you move?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± the boy replied through gritted teeth. He attempted to stand but found that the strength hadn¡¯t yet returned. He attempted to grab onto a nearby tree for support, but Marsel rushed over to help him up. ¡°I¡¯m Duglin, by the way, and this is Marsel.¡±


    ¡°Are you introducing yourself to a witch?¡± Marsel asked incredulously.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Duglin said as Marsel carefully released her grip on his arm. ¡°She saved my life.¡±


    ¡°My name is Kerma,¡± the witch said. ¡°Kerma Halovin. If you want to live, I suggest we take a cue from our creepy crawly friends and make a run for it.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you fight this witch?¡± Marsel asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been chained up for weeks,¡± the witch replied coldly. ¡°Little exercise and little food. It took most of my strength to heal him. I won¡¯t stand a chance against her.¡±


    ¡°Why is she coming this way?¡± Marsel wondered.


    ¡°Instead of asking stupid questions, why don¡¯t you carve us a path through that?¡± Kerma asked, pointing at the dense undergrowth.


    ¡°What about him?¡± Marsel asked, cocking her head at Duglin.


    ¡°Here, use this,¡± the boy said feebly as he drew his dagger.


    ¡°I¡¯ll support him,¡± Kerma offered and held up her bound hands again. ¡°That is unless you want to release me.¡±


    Marsel snatched the dagger out of Duglin¡¯s arms and began hacking at dangling vines and branches, slowly creating a narrow path for them.


    ¡°Why is she chasing us?¡± she asked again.


    ¡°You can go and ask her if you like,¡± the witch snapped as she draped Duglin¡¯s arm around her shoulder.


    Duglin was surprised at how thin and frail she was as she wobbled under his weight. After a few steps, her strength gave out, and the pair collapsed in a heap.


    ¡°What are you two idiots doing?¡± Marsel asked exasperatedly without turning around.


    Duglin found that his strength was returning quickly and helped Kerma to his feet. She wobbled before falling down again.


    ¡°This won¡¯t work,¡± the boy announced.


    ¡°I can¡¯t carry both of you and cut my way through this shit at the same time!¡± Marsel yelled over her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m not Bardrick!¡±


    The hairs on Duglin¡¯s neck stood on end. Then came an explosion from further up the slope they had fallen down.


    ¡°She¡¯s coming!¡± Marsel cried as she raised her musket. ¡°This is it, fight or die!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Duglin cried, amazed at how much stronger he felt with each passing second. Acting on a hunch, he hoisted Kerma onto his back as easily. ¡°Let¡¯s run!¡±


    ¡°The power of a virgin,¡± the boy heard her breathe into his ear.


    ¡°Oi,¡± he snapped. ¡°I¡¯m trying to help you.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not teasing you, you dolt!¡± Marsel cried. ¡°Put her down, we need to fight. We¡¯re making no progress at all through there!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a river twenty yards in that direction,¡± Kerma said, her voice scarcely a whisper. ¡°Run, run for our lives!¡±

 Chapter 12

    A bird shrieked as something drove it from its roost overhead. The frantic flapping of its wings sounded like rolling thunder as it took to the sky. Sweat poured down Duglin¡¯s face as he walked backwards so that he could observe the dense jungle behind them, expecting their pursuer to burst through the trees at any moment.


    ¡°I see the river!¡± Marsel cried.


    The boy felt heartened briefly. However, as he took a step back, he heard Kerma¡¯s ragged breath in his ear. The girl¡¯s grip across his chest was slipping, and he knew the girl was fading fast.


    ¡°How is she?¡±


    Duglin turned around and found Marsel giving the witch a concerned look. Their eyes met and they both knew that their survival hinged on the girl.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Kerma insisted, but her voice was faint. So faint that even Duglin had difficulty hearing it even though her mouth was next to his ear. ¡°Run¡­¡±


    Without hesitation, Duglin took to his heels, charging past Marsel down the relatively clear river bank.


    ¡°Why is she chasing us?¡± Marsel panted as she caught up. ¡°What does she want?¡±


    ¡°She has¡­ been trained to hate¡­ to hate her own kind¡­¡± Kerma managed. ¡°By the Empire. She wants me¡­¡±


    ¡°How do you know this?¡± Marsel demanded. ¡°How do you know how the Empire trains their witches?¡±


    ¡°Hunter told your Captain¡­ As her sanity is eroded¡­. She will revert to her base¡­ base instincts¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you were here as bait,¡± Marsel frowned.


    ¡°The Captain couldn¡¯t leave her without the hunter on the ship either,¡± Duglin protested.


    Marsel came to an abrupt halt. Duglin ran about twenty yards before realizing this and whirled around in surprise. ¡°What are you doing? Come on!¡±


    ¡°Put her down,¡± the young woman ordered. ¡°We¡¯re leaving her behind.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Duglin cried.


    ¡°She¡¯s the one the witch wants,¡± Marsel pointed out. ¡°Leave her behind.¡±


    ¡°She saved our lives!¡± Duglin protested. ¡°I won¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re on your own,¡± Marsel said. ¡°I¡¯m not dying for a witch.¡±


    Without saying another word, the young woman disappeared into the trees further up the river bank. Something splashed in the water to his left, causing Duglin to jump. He turned to see a crocodile swimming downstream as quickly as it could. When he turned back to where Marsel had been, she had disappeared completely from view.


    ¡°Gods above,¡± he cursed before turning around.


    ¡°No,¡± Kerma whispered.


    Duglin froze. ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°The jungle gets thicker up ahead,¡± she said softly. ¡°We will not outrun her. We need to stand and fight.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Duglin asked.


    ¡°Your pistol¡­ can you use it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never¡­¡± the boy began.


    ¡°Shoot her when I tell you to, or we¡¯re both dead!¡± Kerma hissed.


    Duglin swallowed. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    Before he could say any more, Duglin felt the hairs on his neck stand on end. Then, the undergrowth Marsel had carved a path through erupted into flame. Moments later, like something out of a nightmare, the outline of a woman came shambling through the fire. Her arms jerked around, and her head twitched as she looked around for her quarry. When she emerged from the flames, Duglin could see that her flesh was badly burned, and her face was contorted into a mask of agony.


    ¡°She¡¯s lost her mind,¡± Kerma whispered. ¡°She¡¯s acting on pure instinct¡­ This is bad.¡±


    Duglin¡¯s hand trembled as he drew his gun. ¡°Why is this bad?¡±


    ¡°Look at her,¡± she hissed.


    The witch cocked her head, and then she saw them. Raw hatred filled her eyes when she laid eyes on Kerma. Then, came another ear splitting shriek.


    Duglin felt faint as he attempted to cover an ear with one hand and raise his gone with the other.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Kerma cried, screaming into his ear to be heard. ¡°Wait for my signal!¡±


    A ball of flame appeared in the witch¡¯s hand. It grew from the size of an apple to the size of a man¡¯s head in the blink of an eye. The witch then raised both hands and hurled it at the pair.


    ¡°Stand fast,¡± Kerma grunted as she raised her shackled hands towards the ball of fire. ¡°Fire on my command.¡±


    Feeling strangely compelled to obey Kerma, Duglin did as he was told. She began to chant, and the air around them began to crackle. A blue barrier suddenly shimmered as the fireball impacted it, mere feet away from them. Duglin felt searing heat against his face as the fireball exploded. As the barrier disappeared, Kerma went limp.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Fire,¡± she whispered as she tumbled to the floor.


    Duglin took a deep breath, aimed and pulled the trigger. The witch let out a cry of pain as the bullet struck her in the chest. Her torso was thrown back, but her lower body remained upright, and the boy watched in horror as she slowly righted herself like a macabre puppet. He felt her hate directed at him and wanted to flee but fear rooted him to the spot. A ball of fire appeared in her hand.


    Before she could fling it, a loud crack pierced the air. Moments later, a spurt of blood erupted from her skull, and the witch fell over, dead. Duglin could only stare at the witch¡¯s body, dumbfounded, as he tried to figure out what happened until Marsel emerged from the jungle a minute later, keeping her musket trained on the witch¡¯s prone form.


    ¡°You came back!¡± he cried.


    ¡°Never left,¡± she replied. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I¡¯d abandon a shipmate, did you?¡±


    ¡°But you left!¡± Duglin protested.


    ¡°Thinking you would follow,¡± Marsel said. ¡°You stuck to your guns, I¡¯ll give you that.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you have a newfound respect for me?¡± Duglin asked hopefully.


    Marsel looked at the boy and made a face. Duglin followed her gaze, and his face turned red when he saw that he had soiled himself.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that,¡± she remarked dryly. ¡°I¡¯ll just give you a kick up the arse next time you don¡¯t do as I say.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to order me around,¡± Duglin sniffed.


    Marsel broke out into laughter. ¡°Boy, there is no one on our ship who doesn¡¯t get to order you around. You had best remember that.¡±


    Duglin frowned and was about to protest when the young woman continued. ¡°Now, what do we do about her?¡±


    Duglin looked down at Kerma, who was lying unconscious on the ground. ¡°She¡¯s done so much for us¡­ Perhaps we should just¡­¡±


    Marsel raised a hand, silencing him. Duglin felt a wave of nausea before he could ask why and moments later, the witch hunter emerged from the charred path. Duglin breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Fultern and the Captain just behind him.


    ¡°Captain, you¡¯re alright!¡± Marsel cried as the witch hunter inspected the fallen witch.


    ¡°As are the two of you,¡± Firch observed. ¡°You did exceptionally well here.¡±


    ¡°Do I get a bonus for this, Captain?¡± Marsel beamed.


    ¡°I¡¯d say it warrants one,¡± Firch remarked. He blinked when he saw Duglin. ¡°Oh dear.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Duglin asked as he looked at his torn tunic, worried that there were signs of Kerma¡¯s magic still on him.


    ¡°What happened to your eyebrows?¡±


    Duglin reached up and realized that they were gone. ¡°Must have been singed off, Captain.¡±


    ¡°You gave her the ability to speak,¡± the witch hunter observed when he saw his prisoner. ¡°That was dangerous.¡±


    ¡°We were separated and needed advice,¡± Marsel said quickly.


    Duglin moved out of the way and joined Marsel by the Captain¡¯s side as the witch hunter approached Kerma¡¯s unconscious form. The witch hunter took another metal gag from his robe and quickly locked it around her mouth as she lay on the ground. ¡°This is a serious offence...¡±


    Marsel glanced at the Captain, who placed a hand on her musket to prevent her from raising it. He then addressed Andar. ¡°I hope you can look the other way in light of what¡¯s happened.¡±


    Andar looked at the fallen witch and then Marsel and Duglin in turn before sighing. ¡°Ordinarily, I would be loath to allow the ends to justify the means, but I suppose I can make an exception this one time.¡±


    Firch bowed his head in gratitude. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t let it happen again,¡± Andar warned as he bore Kerma up and slung her over his shoulder as though she was a sack of potatoes.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you going to just leave her body like that?¡± Duglin blurted as Andar stepped over the witch¡¯s dead body.


    ¡°She¡¯s no longer a threat,¡± the man replied. ¡°Let the jungle claim her.¡±


    ¡°The way I understand it, she was a loyal Imperial servant for her entire life,¡± Firch remarked. ¡°Seems a little cold¡­¡±


    ¡°She was a witch first and foremost,¡± Andar said without turning around. ¡°A dangerous beast forged into a tool. That¡¯s all she was, Captain. A tool.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a tool,¡± Marsel sniffed softly.


    ¡°What do we do, Captain?¡± Fultern asked.


    ¡°We leave her here,¡± Firch sighed. ¡°I¡¯d wager the locals won¡¯t take kindly to us burying her anywhere near the village.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem right, Captain,¡± Duglin said softly.


    ¡°A lot of things in this world aren¡¯t, Duglin,¡± Firch said softly. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean we shouldn¡¯t try to set things right when we have the chance to.¡±


    ¡°Captain?¡± Duglin asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a mountain of work waiting for us on the Vesper and not a lot of time to finish it,¡± Firch warned. ¡°If you want to lay that poor woman to rest, thirty minutes is the most I can give you, and you¡¯ll have to do it alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Duglin said without hesitation. ¡°But how will I find my way back?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make sure we leave a path that¡¯s clear enough for you to follow,¡± Firch promised. ¡°But don¡¯t be late. I want to make the evening tide, and I¡¯ll leave you behind if you aren¡¯t back by then.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Captain,¡± Duglin said. He attempted to look at the sky to get an idea of the time, but the sun was obscured by the trees.


    ¡°You have thirty minutes,¡± the Captain said before gesturing to the others. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Wait Captain, I don¡¯t have a shovel¡­¡± Duglin began.


    ¡°You¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Firch said before leading the others back through the burnt out path.


    Duglin watched them disappear from view before turning his attention to the witch¡¯s body. Her eyes were rheumy as they gazed lifelessly in the distance, and her body was badly burned all over, leaving her face with no recognizable features. He ruled burial out almost straight away. The ground was covered in thick tree roots that were as tough as iron. A funeral pyre was also out. He wouldn¡¯t be able to gather enough fuel in time. All he could think of was some sort of funeral raft that he could release down the river where the body would be consumed by wildlife like the crocodile he saw earlier.


    ¡°From earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust,¡± he thought to himself as he moved the body.


    It was lighter than he expected and moving it to the water¡¯s edge was easy enough as he moved her, he noticed deep scars that were visible through her burnt flesh. Her life had not been an easy one and had come to a terrible and sudden end. Most people thought witches were abominations before the Gods, most of the crew included but as far as Duglin could tell, this poor woman and Kerma were people, just like him. He paused for a moment and frowned as he attempted to recall more of the prayer.


    He tore off his shirt and covered the body¡¯s torso with it before lifting it up and carrying it with him into the murky river. He held it in place and recited the words with as much gravity as he could. ¡°And so we send this soul off in the hopes that the Gods will take her into their keeping from now until the end of times.¡±


    With that, he cast the body off and watched it float a short distance before something in the water pulled it under. It took Duglin a moment to understand the implication of what he had seen and, in his rush to get out of the water, the boy stumbled on an exposed tree root, landing face first in the mud.


    He groaned and looked up to see a gold brooch lying in the mud inches from his nose. It had been fashioned into the shame of a seven petalled flower and he deduced that it must have belonged to the witch. Perhaps it meant something to her loved ones and decided to keep it in the hopes of one day being able to return it to her family.


    Then, sensing something was amiss, Duglin turned around to see the shape of a crocodile, slowly floating towards him, its cold reptilian eyes fixed on his. His heart began to race and Duglin scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as his legs could carry him down the burnt path.

 Chapter 13

    A stiff breeze blew in from the sea as the sun began to sink below the horizon. Up on her decks, the crew of the Vesper were hard at work, putting their backs into the winch under Firch¡¯s watchful eye as they attempted to use the anchor to haul their ship off the beach as the tide came in. Meanwhile, lines grew taut as rowers on a pair of fishing boats helped.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should have offloaded our cargo before attempting this, Captain?¡± Elran, the ship¡¯s doctor gasped through gritted teeth.


    ¡°We may have done them a favour, but we¡¯d be fools to trust them that far,¡± Inder growled. ¡°Quit your bellyaching and keep pushing.¡±


    The Vesper began to shift ever so slightly and as she was dragged into deeper water, the sea was able to do most of the heavy lifting. There was a disoriented sensation when she floated freely on the water, and Elran and Raimala collapsed in an exhausted heap.


    ¡°Waiitt forrr meee!¡± came a voice from the jungle. It was faint, drowned out by the sounds of the wind and surf, but everyone on board heard it clearly and paused.


    ¡°Keep pushing or the tide is just going to carry us back up the beach, you idiots!¡± Inder cried.


    Firch threw a rope ladder over the side as the crew scrambled back to their positions on the winch. Duglin saw the Vesper slowly haul herself out to sea and attempted to increase his pace only to stumble in the sand and fall flat on his face. He hurriedly picked himself up and ran into the surf until it was waist deep. However, as the Vesper was pulled beyond the surf, she began to pick up speed.


    ¡°Wait!¡± the boy cried again as he waded through the now hip deep water.


    Then, a large wave caught him off guard as it came crashing down over his head, sending him tumbling head over heels. Seawater stung his eyes and nostrils as he struggled to find his footing. In the rising surf. Once he found his footing, he stood and saw that he now had little hope of catching up with his ship.


    ¡°Wait for me!¡± he spluttered as he desperately waded into deeper water.


    Soon, the sea floor fell away abruptly, and Duglin felt himself plunge into the sea. Unable to swim, he thrashed around frantically until he felt a strong hand grab him by the scruff of the neck and haul him to the surface.


    To his surprise, a boat had pulled up alongside without him realizing it, and he was soon hauled on board. Four pairs of eyes looked down at him in amusement as he lay gasping on the deck.


    ¡°We were yelling at you to stay where you were so we could come get you,¡± one of them laughed. ¡°We¡¯re here to take you to your ship.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Duglin said sheepishly as someone threw a blanket over his head.


    ¡°You¡¯d best dry yourself off,¡± a kind voice warned. ¡°It¡¯s going to get cold.¡±


    Soon, the boat pulled up alongside the Vesper, and Duglin gratefully scrambled aboard and was surprised to find the Captain waiting for him at the top of the rope.


    ¡°I thought I gave you half an hour to get back,¡± he said, boring his eyes into the boy.


    ¡°Sorry Captain, I got a little turned around,¡± he said sheepishly.


    ¡°If it happens again, I¡¯ll dock your pay,¡± he warned. ¡°Now get to work, we¡¯re setting sail.¡±


    ¡°Aye Captain!¡± the boy cried before fleeing gratefully.


    ¡°Fair winds, lads!¡± Dernish cried from one of the boats. ¡°And remember your promise! Once you¡¯re done with your skullduggery, you are to come straight back to help me finish every drop of booze on this pox cursed island!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d best secure the best booze for fifty leagues by the time we return!¡± Inder shouted back from the gunwale as the Vesper began to pull away.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t come back, I¡¯ll hunt you down to the ends of the world, do you hear me!¡±


    ¡°It was good to see you again,¡± Firch called. ¡°We¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Now that they were complete again, the crew¡¯s mood was buoyant as they made their ship ready for sail. The Captain and his first mate waved goodbye one more time before making their way to the quarterdeck.


    ¡°Orders, Skip?¡± Raimala asked.


    Firch studied the sea for a moment before turning to Tash. ¡°Helm, make our heading oh-seven five.¡±


    Tash froze and gave Inder a confused look.


    ¡°You heard the Captain,¡± Inder said.


    As the helmswoman turned the Vesper abeam to the wind, Raimala frowned. ¡°But Captain, that will take us back towards shore.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a rip current over there that will get us out to open sea much quicker, pilot,¡± The Captain tried to sound stern but couldn¡¯t keep the corners of his lips from curling into a smile.


    Raimala consulted her log before protesting. ¡°There¡¯s no mention of such things in the charts they gave us, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes you just have to have a feel for these things,¡± Firch said.


    Sure enough, the Vesper shuddered as it entered the current. Firch studied the sea for a moment before making his next order. ¡°Helm, bring us around, take us out to sea.¡±


    ¡°Taking the helm,¡± Inder remarked as the Vesper accelerated out to sea despite sailing against the wind. ¡°Someone¡¯s in a good mood.¡±


    ¡°For the first time in months, our stores are full, our ship patched up, and we have a concrete destination where we can sell our cargo,¡± Firch said. ¡°No harm in celebrating a small victory.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Next you¡¯ll be regaling the crew of stories from the Voyage,¡± Inder teased.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far,¡± Firch said before turning to Raimala. ¡°Pilot, you have the con.¡±


    ¡°Say Skip, I¡¯ve always meant to ask,¡± Raimala began.


    Firch looked at her and gestured for her to continue.


    ¡°You seem to be a capable enough pilot,¡± she said, choosing her words carefully. ¡°Why did you recruit me?"


    Firch shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve always found log keeping to be a pain in the arse. Besides, I needed a doctor, and your brother wouldn¡¯t join the crew unless you did.¡±


    ¡°Gee, this will do wonders for my confidence, Skip,¡± Raimala said, giving him a hurt look.


    ¡°You have plenty of that to spare,¡± Firch said good naturedly.


    Raimala pouted before breaking into a broad grin. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true.¡±


    The wind picked up, causing Inder to cast a wary glance at the dark clouds off their port bow. Thunder rumbled ominously as he did. ¡°A storm¡¯s coming, Captain. It¡¯s going to be a bad one. Perhaps we should have sheltered in the bay for the night after all.¡±


    Firch followed his gaze and shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ll run before it. Our Imperial friends have a three day head start on us, and this hot tip is worthless if they get there before we do.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going into the Murkwater, Captain,¡± Inder pointed out. ¡°Anything could happen in there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Firch said. ¡°We¡¯re sailing into unknown waters, so we need to catch up while we can.¡±


    ¡°Captain, permission to go below decks and check on the repairs?¡± Bardrick asked with Duglin by his side. ¡°I want to see how the new planks are holding up before we get into rough weather.¡±


    Firch nodded. ¡°Granted. When you come back, bring the spare canvas with you. Marsel needs to work on it.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Captain.¡±


    Duglin followed Bardrick below decks and when they were alone, the large man spoke. ¡°So, I heard you had quite the adventure.¡±


    Unsure of how much he had heard, Duglin tried to play it cool. ¡°I¡¯m sure the others exaggerated.¡±


    ¡°You killed a witch,¡± Bardrick remarked as he opened the hatch leading to the bilges and grabbed a lantern that was hanging nearby. ¡°I¡¯d say that counts as an adventure.¡±


    The boy sensed the hurt in the carpenter¡¯s voice and attempted to comfort him. ¡°Only because the witch hunter insisted I go along. I¡¯d much rather have stayed behind to help you repair the hull.¡±


    Bardrick lowered himself into the bilge and cursed. ¡°The leak¡¯s worse than I¡¯d feared.¡±


    ¡°I thought you repaired it,¡± Duglin said as he entered the bilge where small pools of water were beginning to form.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need another layer of pitch¡­¡± Bardrick observed as he held the lantern close to the new planks. ¡°Go and fetch¡­¡±


    Duglin held on tight as the Vesper crested a large wave. After it reached the top, there was a brief, sickening moment of weightlessness as it came riding down the trough. The ship lurched violently as she began climbing again.


    ¡°This will have to wait,¡± Bardrick growled as he snuffed the lantern. Fire was a hazard in heavy seas, especially around pitch. ¡°Come on, we¡¯ll be needed up top.¡±


    ¡°What about the canvas?¡± Duglin asked as they climbed out of the bilge.


    ¡°That will have to wait as well,¡± Bardrick replied as the ship¡¯s bell began to ring.


    When they emerged on deck, they found it being assaulted by sheets of range. The wind howled as the Vesper rode the heavy swells. The trysail had been deployed and snapped violently as the shifting winds assaulted it from every direction, propelling the Vesper forward at an alarming speed. Bardrick hurried to the quarterdeck to deliver his report.


    ¡°She¡¯s leaking, Captain,¡± he warned. ¡°We¡¯ll have to man the pumps if we¡¯re going to carry on in these seas, and even then¡­¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± Firch ordered.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too late to turn back!¡± Inder cried.


    ¡°We¡¯re running before the storm, Mister Inder!¡± Firch replied.


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t noticed, it¡¯s overtaking us, Captain!¡± the first mate pointed out.


    ¡°Only slightly,¡± Firch said as he observed the seas and the winds. ¡°Deploy the headsail!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take on too much water!¡± Bardrick protested as Duglin helped him assemble the pump and Marsel froze at the lines and looked to Inder for confirmation.


    ¡°You have your orders,¡± the first mate said. He then turned to his Captain and lowered his voice. ¡°You¡¯re beginning to sound a little like Ricfer, there¡­¡±


    Firch glared at the stocky man who stared back without fear. ¡°You told me to warn you if you ever got that look in your eye¡­¡±


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing, Mister Inder,¡± Firch assured him before turning his attention back to the sea ahead of them.


    ¡°Boy, up the mast with you,¡± Inder cried as Duglin helped Bardrick lower the trysail and hoisted the headsail in its place. Help Marsel unfurl the mainsail.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± Duglin blurted, ducking his head as the heavens dumped sheets of rain down on them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions, just do as you¡¯re told,¡± Bardrick roared before kicking him swiftly across the arse. Though the Captain was unconventional in many ways, his word was still law on his ship. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your safety line.¡±


    Duglin hurriedly secured the line around his waist and watched Marsel shoot up the mast without bothering with hers. Slowly, he climbed the mast that was swaying like a pendulum in the rough seas. He looked up to see Marsel already working on the ropes that secured the mainsail to the yard.


    ¡°Why are we doing this?¡± he shouted over the wind as he struggled with a stubborn knot. His stomach heaved and he clung on for dear life as the ship rolled violently in the swells. ¡°Won¡¯t the winds tear it right off?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a precaution!¡± Marsel yelled back.


    ¡°No, what are you doing!¡± she cried as Duglin reached for a knife to cut the knot free.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time!¡± Duglin protested as she reached over and swatted the knife away.


    ¡°Here,¡± she snapped before undoing the knot with a few deft tugs. ¡°Never let me catch you cutting one of my lines again unless expressly ordered to do so.¡±


    Before Duglin could reply, a large wave washed over the top of the ship, from behind, sweeping him off the yard. For a sickening moment, the boy began to fall. Then, he felt a sharp pain in his midsection as his safety line went taut. When he opened his eyes, he was disoriented. The deck of the ship was above him and the black sky was below. Then, he heard a scream.


    Duglin looked up and saw Marsel clinging to the yard for dear life. The spar was slick with rain, and it was easy to see that her grip would fail. He shifted his weight, swinging himself to and fro as he hung from the yard. As her grip slipped, Marsel screamed. Duglin gritted his teeth and reached out with his hand, catching her by the wrist. There was a sudden jerk, and it felt like he was going to be torn in half at the waist.


    Down below, the crew worked frantically as Raimala and the Captain barked instructions. All of them kept a worried eye on the pair swinging from the yard but were helpless to intervene. It was taking all of their combined efforts just to keep the ship afloat in the sudden storm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let go,¡± Marsel gasped as she looked down. They were low enough that she could survive a hard landing on the deck with little more than bruises, but she was likely to be thrown overboard if she let go at the wrong time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Duglin¡¯s voice was equally strained.


    As he tried to pull her up, the mainsail was raised, and caught the wind, causing the Vesper to lurch forward violently. It felt like his arm was going to be torn out of his socket, but Duglin dug his nails into Marsel¡¯s wrist and clung on stubbornly as they swung through the air. At the last moment, the boy saw that their momentum was about to smash them into the mast. He hadn¡¯t time to shout a warning and braced himself.


    Marsel took the brunt of the impact as they crashed into the mast with a sickening crack. The young woman went limp and Duglin gasped as she began to slip from his grip. In the corner of his eye, Duglin saw Tash leave the con.


    ¡°Helm, remain at your post!¡± Firch barked, and the helmswoman reluctantly obeyed. ¡°Mister Bardrick, give them a hand when you are able!¡±


    ¡°You have to help me here,¡± the boy pleaded through gritted teeth as he watched Bardrick hurriedly tie off a line before positioning himself under them.


    The bear of a man planted his legs and held out his arms. ¡°When I tell you to, let go of her!¡±


    Before he could give the signal, another wave rocked the ship, causing Marsel to slip out of Duglin¡¯s grasp. The boy could only watch in horror as her momentum carried her over the side of the vessel.

 Chapter 14

    The rain had lessened to a light drizzle that pattered against her hull, and the Vesper¡¯s pitch told Duglin that they were riding through moderate swells as he lay in his hammock. It was nighttime, and he was alone in the hold with his arm in a sling. His shoulder throbbed painfully but he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little guilty that the others were out there manning the ship while he was lying here below decks. The ship had pulled away from the storm and was now running before it. They weren¡¯t out of danger yet, but the worst was over.


    The rear of the ship had been partitioned by movable panels into a pair of cabins. Elran emerged from the one he shared with his sister carrying a concoction in a small bowl. He noticed Duglin staring at him and nodded in acknowledgement before entering the one Marsel shared with Tash. Traditionally, the ship¡¯s doctor and the pilot would have cabins to themselves, but the siblings agreed to share so that the other two women on board wouldn¡¯t have to berth with the men.


    ¡°How is she?¡± Duglin asked when the doctor reappeared a few minutes later. Fultern had reacted with superhuman speed and caught Marsel just as she was about to fall overboard.


    ¡°She¡¯s conscious, and she knows where she is and can speak clearly,¡± he replied as he approached the boy. ¡°All good signs. Now, how are you?¡±


    Duglin winced as he attempted to sit up. ¡°It¡¯s my shoulder.¡±


    ¡°It was dislocated,¡± Elran said as he helped the boy up. Duglin winced again as the doctor prodded at it with his slender fingers. ¡°It will heal in time, though I fear that it will dislocate more easily in future.¡±


    ¡°Will that make it harder for me to work as a sailor?¡± Duglin asked worriedly.


    ¡°It might,¡± Elran allowed. ¡°But if you take the proper precautions, it shouldn¡¯t be more than a minor inconvenience.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, thank you, doctor,¡± Duglin breathed. He had seen far too many former sailors on shore, crippled for life and unable to provide for themselves thanks to injuries suffered under seemingly innocuous circumstances.


    Elran lifted the boy¡¯s tunic and frowned at the scar on his back. It was the only sign that remained of where the branch had pierced through. ¡°I must admit, I¡¯m more puzzled by this. It looks like it was a shocking wound.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it happened when I was younger,¡± Duglin lied, hoping he sounded convincing.


    ¡°I would have expected long term damage from a scar of this size,¡± the doctor said as he touched Duglin¡¯s back. ¡°How remarkable¡­ I¡¯m surprised no one noticed this before.¡±


    ¡°How is she, doctor?¡± Tash asked as she descended the stairs breathlessly.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Elran replied. ¡°She¡¯s resting in her room¡­¡±


    The doctor frowned. ¡°Does your being down here mean we¡¯re clear of the storm?¡±


    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s blown over,¡± Tash replied. ¡°The Captain wants to hold a meeting down here. He wants all hands assembled.¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s right, his cabin has been taken over,¡± Elran said after a moment¡¯s confusion. ¡°All hands¡­ well she needs her rest¡­ both of them do, but if it¡¯s a short meeting¡­¡±


    Tash made a face. ¡°From the Captain¡¯s tone, I don¡¯t think he was asking.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you get things ready,¡± Elran offered.


    ¡°Thanks, doctor, but your sister needs you to fetch her charts,¡± Tash said. ¡°The Captain wants to know precisely where we are after all that excitement.¡±


    ¡°I can help,¡± Duglin offered and winced as he tried to climb out of his hammock.


    Tash gently pushed him back into a lying position and shook her head. ¡°I can do it alone. The pilot will need some time to get our bearings anyway.¡±


    It took around half an hour for the crew to begin trickling down from above decks by which time Tash had moved the panels and set out the great table. Chairs and drinks for nine were set out and lanterns were lit. Soon, everyone except for Fultern and the Captain was assembled. The crew looked exhausted from battling the storm as they stood around the table except for Raimala, who sat down straight away to scribble calculations on a scrap of paper and Marsel, who had remained in her hammock under the doctor¡¯s orders. The atmosphere was tense, and no one spoke while they waited for the Captain to arrive.


    At length, Firch descended the stairs, and the tension in the room seemed to increase. He seated himself at the head of the table and the others followed suit.


    ¡°We encountered a dangerous situation, but we came through it admirably,¡± the Captain began. ¡°Pilot, do you have an idea of where we are?¡±


    ¡°A rough one,¡± she said without looking up from her notes. ¡°My calculations place us roughly sixty nautical miles south southwest of Jerning.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯ve covered over a day¡¯s worth of sailing in eight hours,¡± Firch nodded. ¡°A good start.¡±


    ¡°But at what cost, Captain?¡± Tash blurted.


    The muscular woman shrank back when the Captain levelled his piercing gaze on her. ¡°It was a risk, but one that was worth taking. Life at sea is dangerous¡­¡±


    Tash would not be cowed, though and blurted. ¡°The first mate was right. We should have sheltered for the night. The risk was too great, and we came a hairsbreadth from sinking!¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Does anyone else share her opinion?¡± Firch¡¯s voice was low and dangerous.


    At length, Raimala and Elran raised their hands. The pilot was the first to speak. ¡°It was very risky, Captain, and we¡¯re lucky to have emerged with only a torn headsail and two crew injured.¡±


    ¡°No, Tash, it¡¯s fine¡­¡± Marsel protested feebly.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t fine!¡± Tash cried. ¡°You were nearly washed overboard.¡±


    ¡°Have all of you forgotten what¡¯s at stake here?¡± Firch asked. ¡°If we can¡¯t sell our cargo, I get a brand and no one in the Viridian Sea will give us work.¡±


    ¡°Captain, we can find other work if selling our cargo doesn¡¯t work out,¡± Elran protested and fell silent when he saw that Firch had closed his right fist into a tight ball.


    The Captain looked at each of his crew in turn. ¡°If your Captain ends up with a brand, what will become of the lot of you? Who else will take the branded, those who conceal their face, and women onto their crew?¡±


    Tash and the siblings lowered their heads.


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken you all in because you are good at your jobs but are unhireable through no faults of your own,¡± Firch continued. ¡°What I need you to understand is that makes it difficult for me to find work. We complete the jobs we get because we don¡¯t know if there will be others.¡±


    Firch paused and looked at each of his crew in turn before continuing. ¡°I will continue to take risks to get us there as quickly as humanly possible because if we don¡¯t beat that Imperial ship to our destination, it could well mean the end for me and this crew. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes Captain,¡± they murmured.


    Firch sighed and with some effort unclenched his fist. ¡°We¡¯ll be passing by an island called Thilbury in a day or two. It¡¯s little more than a small farming community, but there are people there who will welcome an able body or two. Now, I can¡¯t promise there won¡¯t be more dangers ahead if you stay on board my ship, and none of you except for Duglin are under contract, so, I can drop off anyone who isn¡¯t willing to face them with me¡­¡±


    The Captain¡¯s voice trailed off and he stared into the distance. At length, Inder asked. ¡°Any takers?¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Firch said when there were none, and turned to Marsel. ¡°When you are fit, I need you to work on repairing the sails.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get on it in the morning, Captain,¡± she promised.


    ¡°Good.¡± Firch nodded and turned to his pilot. ¡°Have you gone over the charts Derning gave you?¡±


    ¡°In what little time I had,¡± Raimala said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call them charts, though¡­ more like vague instructions.¡±


    ¡°Have you heard of the Murkwater Archipelago?¡± he ventured.


    The dark skinned young woman frowned and shook her head. ¡°Only in passing mention¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s a dangerous place,¡± Inder remarked. ¡°And those brave enough to explore it and live to tell the tale reported finding nothing of note there. Just uninhabited islands.¡±


    ¡°Until now,¡± Firch said.


    ¡°A silver mine,¡± Bardrick grunted and shook his head. ¡°Some people have all the luck.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to sound negative all the time,¡± Tash began. ¡°But what makes the Murkwater so dangerous? It¡¯s so steeped in myth that it¡¯s hard to separate fact from fiction.¡±


    Firch glanced at his first mate, who scratched the back of his head before answering. ¡°Well, I knew a man¡­ third mate on a surveying ship he was.¡±


    Inder paused to take a sip of grog from one of the mugs Tash had laid out for everyone before continuing. ¡°He said the sea was murky and gave off the stench of rotting eggs. Nothing could live in it, and a persistent mist made navigation difficult. They stopped at the first island they came across, found nothing but trees, and left as quickly as they could.¡±


    ¡°So navigation through conventional means will be difficult,¡± Firch mused. ¡°Pilot, it sounds like you have your work cut out for you. Are you up to the task?¡±


    ¡°An uncharted sea that poses unique navigational challenges,¡± Elran remarked. ¡°Little sister, it sounds like precisely the thing you came out here to find.¡±


    Raimala beamed broadly. ¡°Yes, it is. Captain. By my estimates, we have two days until we sight what your friend described as the first beacon. I¡¯ll spend every waking moment pouring over his notes until then.¡±


    ¡°As for the rest of you, the storm took its toll on our ship, make no mistake,¡± Firch said. ¡°And I want her in the best possible condition to face the Murkwater.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Captain,¡± Inder said tiredly as shoulders slumped around the table.


    ¡°However, I¡¯m also aware that the storm has taken its toll on all of us,¡± Firch continued. ¡°So work will begin in earnest in the morning. Mister Inder, draw up the watches. Make sure everyone is well rested by morning.¡±


    ¡°Aye Captain,¡± the first mate said, sounding more buoyant this time.


    ¡°If I may,¡± Duglin said. ¡°I¡¯d like to take first watch. I¡¯ve been sleeping for most of the day and I¡¯m sure everyone could use the rest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s mighty generous of you, boy,¡± Bardrick said before reaching over and tousling Duglin¡¯s hair with a meaty hand.


    ¡°Any objections, Pilot?¡± Firch ventured.


    Raimala shook her head. ¡°The seas have calmed, and we are in open seas¡­ There shouldn¡¯t be any problems so long as we¡¯re diligent with log keeping.¡±


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Firch said with a tired sigh. ¡°Go up and relieve Fultern. As for the rest of you, get some sleep. Captain¡¯s orders.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Captain,¡± the others said in unison.


    The atmosphere was stifling with everyone gathered below decks, and Duglin took a moment to savour the cool night air once he climbed out of the hold. Stars twinkled in a clear sky overhead. Duglin looked around and saw that Fultern was on the quarterdeck instead of his usual perch on the prow.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to relieve you,¡± he announced as he climbed the stairs leading to the quarterdeck.


    Fultern grunted an acknowledgement as he scribbled an entry into the ship¡¯s log without looking up. Behind him, a rope was threaded through the ship¡¯s wheel to keep her course steady. Once he had finished the entry, the swordsman turned an hourglass upside down and raised his head to look at Duglin.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just made an entry,¡± he said and tapped on the binnacle, inviting Duglin to take a look.


    Inside, was the ship¡¯s compass, set on a gimbal, and a small lantern for light.


    ¡°Make a note of our heading and speed in the log every hour,¡± he said. ¡°If it deviates by more than twenty degrees, note it down and then wake the pilot up.¡±


    ¡°I know how to keep watch,¡± Duglin assured him


    The swordsman nodded. ¡°Good night, Duglin.¡±


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    Instead of heading below decks, Fultern walked to the prow and fell asleep sitting with his back against a gunwale and with his sword across his lap. Now alone on the quarterdeck, Duglin looked out into the pitch darkness and wondered what could be lurking unseen out there. His imagination soon got the best of him and his skin began to crawl.


    ¡°It¡¯s times like these when we realize how alone we truly are out here, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Duglin nearly jumped out of his skin and whirled around to see the witch hunter standing at the door to the Captain¡¯s cabin. The boy was disquieted by the sight of Kerma standing by his side, bound, gagged and blindfolded. Andar followed his gaze and frowned. ¡°I understand she shared a bit of an adventure with you and another. Would you care to share your experience?¡±


    ¡°Well, the Captain did say I was permitted a daily excursion outside his cabin,¡± Andar pointed out. ¡°He appears to have forgotten about today in light of the storm.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ I should summon him first¡­¡± Duglin began as a wave of nausea engulfed him.


    ¡°The Captain looked exhausted when I saw him through the window,¡± Andar said sweetly as he climbed up to the quarterdeck with Kerma in tow. ¡°You should let him have his rest. In the meantime, you and I could have a little chat about your adventure.¡±


    The witch hunter was now standing at the top of the stairs, blocking off Duglin¡¯s only path of escape. ¡°I can smell her stench on you. Tell me, did she cast a spell on you?¡±

 Chapter 15

    Despite it being a cool night, Duglin¡¯s shirt was soaked with sweat as the witch hunter¡¯s unnerving cat like eyes bored into his. The boy could feel his heart pound in his chest feeling like a cornered rat as the bald man approached him. The boy backed away until he felt the gunwale against his back and looked over the prow where Fultern was sitting motionlessly.


    Cornered, Duglin could do little as the witch hunter bent down to sniff the air around his neck. ¡°Yes, her stench is all over you.¡±


    Andar straightened himself and towering over the boy, spoke imperiously. ¡°What spell did she cast on you? A fortification spell? A bewitching spell?¡±


    The boy¡¯s hand pulled his shirt tighter around his chest as he shook his head vehemently. ¡°No, sir¡­¡±


    The witch hunter¡¯s voice suddenly turned soft. ¡°You needn¡¯t be afraid. You¡¯re the victim here, and if she has bewitched you, I can help. No blame will be placed on you, I can assure you of that. However, that is, only if you tell me what she has done.¡±


    Despite his instincts screaming that he couldn¡¯t trust the witch hunter, Duglin felt himself waver. Perhaps if he just showed the man instead of telling. He took his hand off his chest and slowly began to lift his shirt.


    ¡°I thought we agreed that you were not to interact with my crew.¡±


    Duglin quickly lowered his shirt and escaped from his corner as Firch stepped onto the quarterdeck. The Captain¡¯s eyes were red rimmed but alert, and he had a hand on each of his weapons.


    ¡°Ah, Captain,¡± Andar said smoothly. ¡°Good evening. I thought you had forgotten about our daily ritual.¡±


    ¡°I had other things to attend to,¡± Firch said evenly. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can understand.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Captain,¡± Andar smiled.


    ¡°It looked like you were in the middle of accusing my crewman of something,¡± Firch said coolly.


    Andar shook his head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t accusing him of anything. However, he was unattended with a witch. I needed to see if¡­¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t alone,¡± Firch interrupted brusquely. ¡°There was another, and they were out of our sight for but a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all it takes for one of these to plant seeds of evil, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Andar remarked as he tugged on Kerma¡¯s chain violently. ¡°These seeds grow quickly into destructive things if not quickly uprooted.¡±


    ¡°My crew is not so easily corrupted,¡± Firch said. ¡°There will be no inquisition on my ship. Is that clear?¡±


    The witch hunter held the Captain¡¯s gaze for a moment before nodding. ¡°It is against my better judgement, but this is your ship, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Now that we have an understanding, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a little late for your evening stroll going to have to ask you to return to your cabin,¡± Firch said. ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair, Captain,¡± Andar said. ¡°Come along, now.¡±


    Duglin felt his temper flare as the witch hunter roughly dragged Kerma down the stairs by the chain. The Captain put a hand on his shoulder, and the boy realized he had been clenching his fists.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get attached to her,¡± he warned. ¡°Her fate is not something we can interfere with.¡±


    Duglin wanted to protest but thought better of it when he saw the look in his Captain¡¯s eye. When they heard the door to his cabin close, the Captain¡¯s shoulders sagged, and he looked like he aged ten years.


    ¡°Evening gents,¡± Inder called as he climbed out onto the deck. He joined them on the quarterdeck and lowered his voice. ¡°He¡¯s going to be trouble, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°We are going to have to be very careful when we drop him off in Darvigan,¡± Firch agreed.


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Duglin wondered.


    Inder smirked. ¡°Witch hunters are dogged bastards. There¡¯s no way he¡¯s dropping the matter so easily.¡±


    ¡°You had best keep your distance from him while he¡¯s on board, Duglin,¡± Firch warned.


    Inder nodded thoughtfully before clamping a meaty hand on the Captain¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You look shattered lad. Go below and get some sleep. I can help the boy keep an eye on things until the next watch. The Vesper needs her Captain in peak condition for what is to come.¡±


    Firch nodded and turned to Duglin. ¡°Next time he comes out from his room without permission, you ring the ship¡¯s bell, wake the entire ship. Do you understand?¡±


    Duglin bobbed his head, and the Captain walked away. Instead of going below decks, he fell into the pilot¡¯s seat and wrapped a blanket around himself. After consulting the binnacle for their heading, he was fast asleep.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised,¡± Duglin murmured as he watched the Captain sleep.


    ¡°What by?¡± Inder asked.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, no one on the crew seemed interested in what happened when Marsel and I were alone with the witch,¡± Duglin replied.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Inder rubbed the back of his head and shrugged. ¡°Well, according to the superstitions, it¡¯s best not to ask too many questions about a witch¡¯s affairs.¡±


    ¡°The Captain doesn¡¯t strike me as the superstitious sort,¡± Duglin pointed out. ¡°And he hasn¡¯t asked me a thing about what happened.¡±


    A crooked smile spread across the first mate¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ve known the Captain for oh, going on eight years now and I still don¡¯t know what that boy is thinking most of the time, but I do know one thing.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that, sir?¡± Duglin ventured.


    Inder looked over at the Captain before replying. ¡°If he ever does ask, you had best tell him the whole truth.¡±


    It was just before dawn when the faint smell of rotting eggs permeated the air. Duglin sat bolt upright and sniffed the air before looking over at Firch, who was still fast asleep in the pilot¡¯s chair.


    ¡°What is it, boy?¡± Inder asked. The first mate was relieving himself through one of the scuppers and shook himself dry before returning to the quarterdeck.


    ¡°Do you smell that?¡± he asked. ¡°I think some of the stores might have gone bad.¡±


    ¡°No, that isn¡¯t it,¡± Elran said as he emerged from below decks. ¡°That is the smell of sulphur.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Duglin asked.


    ¡°Brimstone I believe is what it¡¯s more commonly known as over here,¡± the doctor replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s all well and good, but where is it coming from?¡± Inder asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s my first time in these waters,¡± Elran said as he peered out into the predawn gloom. ¡°But if I were to hazard a guess, it¡¯s from a volcano. That at least would explain the beacons mentioned in Master Dernish¡¯s charts. My sister has been tearing her hair out over them all night.¡±


    Duglin gave the doctor a blank look. ¡°Volcano?¡±


    ¡°Fire mountains, boy,¡± Inder said. ¡°I didn¡¯t think there were any in these seas. We saw one erupt on our¡­ Well, I¡¯ve seen one erupt. I thought the world was ending.¡±


    ¡°They are common enough in my homeland,¡± Elran said. ¡°Living in one¡¯s shadow makes one relish life more.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine,¡± Inder grunted. ¡°At any rate, the smell means we¡¯re getting closer to the Murkwater.¡±


    ¡°Well, that explains the dream I had.¡±


    Duglin turned to see that the Captain¡¯s eyes were opened. He checked their bearings before slowly climbing out of the pilot¡¯s chair.


    ¡°At least that proves we¡¯re on course,¡± he mused. ¡°Mister Inder, have you had any sleep at all?¡±


    ¡°No, I had second watch and it¡¯s just about to end, Captain,¡± he announced.


    ¡°Well, get below decks and sleep for at least a watch.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Captain,¡± Inder said as he headed below decks. ¡°Just didn¡¯t think the boy should be alone for his watch now that our passenger has his eye on him.¡±


    ¡°A wise decision.¡±


    More of the ship¡¯s crew began to gather above decks as the sun¡¯s first rays crept above the horizon, woken by force of habit as much as the growing stench. In the growing light, Duglin noticed for the first time that the sea had taken on a slightly milky green colour.


    ¡°I can see why they call it the Murkwater,¡± Raimala remarked.


    ¡°Perhaps we should summon our passenger,¡± Bardrick said sourly as he sniffed the air. ¡°There is witchery afoot.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no witchery,¡± Firch said before Duglin could protest. ¡°This is just a sign that we¡¯re where we¡¯re supposed to be.¡±


    ¡°Navigating using active volcanos,¡± Raimala remarked from the helm. ¡°This will be a novel experience.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think they¡¯re active, pilot?¡± Firch asked.


    ¡°Based on their descriptions, Skip,¡± she replied.


    As the light grew, the crew became aware of the mist that now lingered above the sea¡¯s surface. Duglin ran his finger over a gunwale and saw that a thin film of dust had gathered.


    ¡°It¡¯s volcanic ash,¡± Elran said. ¡°There¡¯s going to be a lot of swabbing of decks.¡±


    ¡°And everything else,¡± Firch said. ¡°Batten down the hatches, tell everyone to close them behind them if they¡¯re going between decks.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Captain,¡± Bardrick frowned. ¡°It¡¯s going to get stuffy below decks¡­¡±


    ¡°We will be counting that as a blessing before long,¡± Firch replied.


    ¡°Land off to port!¡± Fultern cried. ¡°An island about a mile out.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see anything,¡± Duglin said as he peered into the hazy morning.


    ¡°Neither can I,¡± Firch remarked as he lowered his spyglass. ¡°But if Fultern says it¡¯s there, then it is¡­ Pilot?¡±


    ¡°It has to be Thilbury, Skip,¡± she replied after consulting her charts. ¡°Nothing else out here, but that puts us thirty leagues further west than I anticipated.¡±


    ¡°That is welcome news,¡± Firch breathed as he eyed the sails. ¡°We need to get the sails mended so that we can squeeze a bit more speed out of her.¡±


    ¡°Reckon we¡¯re still behind them, Captain?¡± Bardrick ventured.


    Firch nodded as he looked off the port bow. ¡°Unless they went to Thilbury first.¡±


    The Captain paused thoughtfully before addressing his crew. ¡°I did make a promise. Does anyone want to get off there? It is but an hour out of our way.¡±


    ¡°Not me, Captain, I¡¯m with you until the bitter end,¡± Bardrick said. ¡°Of this little adventure, at any rate.¡±


    The others nodded in silent agreement, and the Captain shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn the lot of you.¡±


    The mist grew thicker, and with it, the stench of rotten eggs. It also grew humid and warmer as the day went on. Soon, visibility was limited to a few hundred yards.


    ¡°Well, Skip, it¡¯s safe to say that celestial navigation is now impossible,¡± Raimala remarked, sounding more than a little worried.


    ¡°Well, I hope you¡¯ve got your bearings right, then,¡± Firch remarked. ¡°I want speed and bearings taken every quarter of an hour.¡±


    Inder, who had woken up at around noon, nodded. ¡°Aye, Captain.¡±


    ¡°And station someone in the crow¡¯s nest at all times,¡± Firch ordered.


    Inder glanced at Marsel, who was seated on the deck, using the canvas they had picked up at Jerning to mend the mainsail. He then growled. ¡°Boy, get up into the crow¡¯s nest. Look to the sky for anything resembling a beacon.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir,¡± Duglin¡¯s sentence was punctuated by a fit of coughing triggered by the stench of rotten eggs.


    ¡°Skip, I have to admit, I¡¯m terrified of navigating using dead reckoning,¡± Raimala remarked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go losing your nerve now, pilot,¡± Inder warned.


    It took around four hours for the red glowing hue to appear on the horizon. Initially, Duglin thought it was the setting sun until he realized sunset wasn¡¯t for another three hours.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s the beacon two points off our port bow!¡± he cried.


    ¡°Two points,¡± Raimala breathed as she broke out into a cold sweat. ¡°We were supposed to be dead on.¡±


    ¡°Figure out your mistake and don¡¯t let it happen again,¡± Firch warned before turning to Tash. ¡°Helm, two points to port.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Captain.¡±


    Inder breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Well, that¡¯s the first challenge overcome.¡±


    ¡°It only gets harder from here,¡± Firch warned. ¡°Pilot, you had better get your act together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try, Skip,¡± Raimala said bitterly.


    It was another hour before Duglin could see the volcano through the mist. It seemed to have sprouted out of the sea and belched thick smoke into the air. Rivers of red hot magma bubbled from the peak and oozed down its sheer sides to the small island that had formed around the volcano¡¯s knees before turning into black slag when it touched the sea.


    ¡°Reef ahead!¡± Fultern warned from the prow.


    ¡°Hard to port!¡± Raimala cried. ¡°Lower the sails.¡±


    The Vesper soon came to a rest just under two hundred yards from the reef. Firch observed the feathered white tops in the milky green sea through his spyglass and grunted. ¡°It looks like an atoll. We¡¯re at the first ¡®beacon.¡¯


    Meanwhile, Raimala frowned as she scanned the horizon. At length, she called up to the crow¡¯s nest. ¡°Duglin, do you see another beacon?¡±


    ¡°No, Pilot!¡± came the reply.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± she breathed as the colour drained from her face. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be able to see the second beacon from here.¡±


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Inder demanded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

 Chapter 16

    Steam seemed to be coming off the sea¡¯s surface as the Vesper¡¯s launch was carefully lowered into the water. Duglin looked at the milky green water with trepidation as the boat touched the surface. Instead of releasing the ropes, those on the deck peered over the side.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Inder asked.


    ¡°A little warm,¡± Elran, who was sitting next to Duglin replied. ¡°But we ought to be alright.¡±


    ¡°Try touching the water,¡± Inder ordered.


    The young woman nudged Duglin in the side while Tash looked at him from her position on the prow expectantly. The boy swallowed nervously and slowly lowered his hand towards the water.


    ¡°You know it¡¯s hot, you¡¯ll want to just use a finger,¡± Tash suggested.


    ¡°And quicker would be better than slower,¡± Marsel added.


    The boy took a deep breath and dabbed his finger into the sea. He frowned before doing it again. Finally, he dipped his whole hand in.


    ¡°It¡¯s warm,¡± he said. ¡°But not uncomfortably so.¡±


    ¡°Told you,¡± Elran winked from the prow.


    On Inder¡¯s order, the launch was released into the water. The hull became warm almost at once, making it feel like a sauna on board. Soon, all three were sweating profusely.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see if we can find that beacon,¡± Tash panted. ¡°And hopefully fresh water.¡±


    Duglin cast an eye at the three empty barrels of water they had brought with them. Conditions on board had been stifling over the past three days, and they had consumed more fresh water than expected. Now, it was being strictly rationed.


    On Tash¡¯s order, Marsel and Duglin began to row along ring shaped reef. The Captain didn¡¯t want the two who had been in contact with the witch on board with the witch hunter in the others¡¯ absence, so they were the natural choices for this shore party, together with Elran, who was the most knowledgeable about volcanos on board. Their mission was to try and spot the other beacon from the island and if possible, find a source of fresh water to replenish their stores.


    The seas were rough beyond the atoll, and the Vesper pulled away out of concern for the safety of the launch as soon as they were set free. The launch foundered at first, making little headway as her occupants scrambled to steer themselves away from the reef. After they had found their rhythm, they slowly made their way through the small opening and into the calmer waters beyond.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Duglin panted as they rowed.


    The scene before him looked like something out of a nightmare. Everything was tinged in red from the ashy sky, the island with the volcano in its centre, spewing black ash into the sky with rivers of molten magma dripping down its sides. The boy jumped when streaks of lightning forked to the volcano¡¯s peak, followed by a loud crack. The launch¡¯s occupants froze, unsure if continuing was wise.


    ¡°That was ominous,¡± Marsel murmured.


    ¡°It was just a coincidence,¡± Tash said, trying to sound confident.


    ¡°Lightning is a common occurrence above volcanos,¡± Elran said. ¡°Something about the ash cloud it spews¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, if we go back now, they¡¯ll just send us out again,¡± Duglin added.


    ¡°Right, so we agree. The quickest way out of here is to get this over with quickly,¡± Tash declared.


    The others didn¡¯t need any further encouragement and doubled their efforts. Soon, their launch scraped up against the island¡¯s rocky shore. Tash carefully dipped her bare foot into the warm water and winced.


    ¡°Is the water hot?¡± Marsel asked, her voice tinged with concern.


    ¡°No, the ground is¡­ it¡¯s sharp,¡± the muscular woman gasped as she jumped back in.


    ¡°Shoes on, everyone,¡± she ordered.


    The shore was made largely from black rocks that were strewn with what appeared to be shards of black glass.


    ¡°Never seen anything like it,¡± Marsel muttered as they gathered their things from the launch.


    Duglin looked up at the volcano worriedly. ¡°I hope we won¡¯t have to climb that¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll walk along the shore, make a full loop of the island first,¡± Tash said. ¡°Climbing up there is a last resort.¡±


    ¡°No arguments here,¡± Marsel breathed.


    Here on the island, the stench of sulphur was overpowering. The trio wrapped rags soaked in seawater around their noses and mouths to help ward off the smell, which made it hard for them to breathe. The temperature was sweltering and sweat dripped from their bodies as they trudged down the rocky beach. Duglin walked with his head bowed, raising it every now and then in the hope that he would see the second beacon in the distance, only to be disappointed.


    It wasn¡¯t long before he felt lightheaded and reached for his flask. He lifted it and was reminded that it was only half full.


    ¡°Perhaps we should find water first.¡± His voice was hoarse and faint.


    Just when he finished speaking, lightning ripped through the air above them, leaving behind the scent of ozone. Moments later, an ear-splitting crack of thunder assaulted their ears and shook their bones. Then came the rain. It came in a sudden deluge, and the three parched mariners raised their heads to the sky and gratefully opened their mouths.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    However, their relief quickly turned into panic when they felt the pain in their mouths and on their skin. The rain burned!


    ¡°To the jungle!¡± Marsel cried, leading the charge.


    The quartet paused at the fringe of the jungle, each knowing better than to run headlong amongst the dense trees where they could easily be lost or pounced upon by a lurking predator. The canopy was thick, preventing most of the rain from reaching them.


    ¡°Strip your clothes off!¡± Elran ordered. ¡°Wring out as much of the rainwater as you can.¡±


    Casting their modesty aside, the others obeyed without objection. Once they had squeezed as much of the corrosive water as they could, they carefully put their clothes back on. Duglin felt his skin tingle and looked out towards the shore where the rain was quickly beginning to subside.


    Elran looked around curiously. Then his eyes widened, and he stooped over to pluck a herb from the ground.


    ¡°This is Bathlin,¡± he breathed.


    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Tash said dryly. ¡°I¡¯d be happier if we found a usable source of water.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± the doctor said as he looked around in wonder. ¡°This is an incredibly rare herb that is a key ingredient in potent medicines. An ounce of dried herb can fetch up to two hundred crowns.¡±


    That caught the muscular woman¡¯s interest. She looked around and grunted. ¡°There¡¯s a nutmeg tree over there ¡­ That fetches a pretty penny as well.¡±


    ¡°Then forget our destination, this is a literal silver mine right under our feet,¡± Marsel observed.


    ¡°That¡¯s all well and good,¡± Tash remarked. ¡°But since we¡¯re here, we ought to find a source of water.¡±


    ¡°These plants don¡¯t seem to be affected by the rain,¡± Duglin observed. ¡°Do you think they can grow in this water?¡¯


    Elran shook his head slowly and craned his neck to look up at the canopy. ¡°I doubt it. From Master Dernish¡¯s notes, rain is a rare occurrence here in the Murkwater. There has to be another source of fresh water to support so much vegetation.¡±


    Tash licked her parched lips. ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, we may as well go looking for it, eh?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in charge,¡± Elran shrugged.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± she ordered as she led them deeper into the jungle.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Duglin said. ¡°What if we get lost?¡±


    Just then, they passed through a small break in the canopy and Tash pointed at the smouldering volcano in the distance. ¡°We just walk away from that, and we¡¯ll reach the shore soon enough.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a large island, Duglin,¡± Elran added.


    Tash took the lead, drawing her cutlass and using it to cut down any creepers, vines or thorny branches that barred their path. The island appeared to be uninhabited, and it was the shore party¡¯s only weapon, which suited Duglin just fine. The witch on Jerning was the first person he¡¯d ever shot, and he hoped she would be the last.


    ¡°Say, Tash,¡± Marsel began. ¡°We should keep our search close to the shore. We don¡¯t want to have to carry those barrels far.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s focus on finding water before we worry about how far we¡¯ll have to carry it,¡± Tash suggested.


    ¡°Hush,¡± Duglin said sharply.


    The two women stopped and whirled around to give him astonished looks. ¡°Excuse me, what did you just say to us?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Elran hissed. ¡°I hear voices.¡±


    The women fell silent and cupped their hands to their ears. At length, Marsel pointed over to their right and mouthed the words. ¡°Over there.¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Duglin whispered urgently.


    Tash furrowed her brow thoughtfully before pointing in the direction of the voices. ¡°We go take a look.¡±


    Thoughts of what kind of person would inhabit an island such as this swirled through Duglin¡¯s mind and a vivid image of the witch they had killed entered his thoughts. The boy shook his head vigorously. ¡°I vote we head back¡­ warn the others, maybe come back with reinforcements.¡±


    ¡°There is no voting,¡± Marsel hissed. ¡°Tash has been placed in charge. She makes the decisions.¡±


    Duglin looked over at Elran who nodded solemnly. ¡°She¡¯s right. The Captain put Tash in charge. Besides, the Vesper needs all hands to maintain her station in open water off the atoll. We are all that can be spared.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re done debating, let¡¯s go,¡± Tash urged.


    Together, they crept their way through the jungle until they came across a clearing among the trees. In the middle of the clearing was a small sinkhole that was filled with water. A pair of men stood by it, grumbling as they used a bucket to fill larger barrels with water.


    ¡°How many more barrels is the Captain going to make us fill?¡± One of the men groused. ¡°We should leave before the blasted volcano blows us all to smithereens.¡±


    ¡°You volunteered for this duty, so quit your bellyaching, Pert,¡± his partner snapped. Both men were stripped to the waist and dripping with sweat.


    ¡°I must have been delirious from thirst,¡± the man called Pert sniffed.


    Duglin looked around their makeshift camp and his blood froze when he spied a pistol. He tapped Tash on the shoulder and pointed at the weapon. The muscular woman¡¯s eyes went wide when she saw it and gestured for them to withdraw.


    Duglin was about to turn around when he felt something hard and sharp dig into his back. It took him a moment for him to realize it was the tip of a sword.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± a voice asked from behind him. ¡°Four little rats, scurrying about?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Pert called from the clearing. ¡°What are you talking about, Hurnie? You finally back from your piss?¡±


    ¡°Set your weapon down and step out into the clearing or I¡¯ll run your little friend through,¡± the voice behind Duglin warned.


    The others did as they were told and Duglin stumbled forward onto his face when the man behind him planted his foot on his arse. Pert¡¯s eyes brightened when he saw Marsel and a sloppy grin crossed his face. ¡°My, what¡¯s a pretty young thing doing like you on our island?¡±


    ¡°This is our island,¡± Marsel snapped. ¡°You¡¯re the ones trespassing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, missy,¡± Hurnie said with a crooked grin. ¡°Our Captain has claimed this island in the name of the Holy Emperor, Lloyd Arthagan the Third, hallowed be his name.¡±


    ¡°Hallowed be his name,¡± the other two echoed.


    ¡°Now, what are you four doing here?¡± Hurnie asked as he pointed his cutlass at Marsel.


    ¡°Our ship was blown off course and wrecked in a storm,¡± she replied. ¡°We washed up here months ago.¡±


    ¡°Well then, your prayers are answered,¡± Pert beamed. ¡°We can take you back to civilization.¡±


    ¡°That remains to be seen,¡± Hurnie remarked. ¡°The Captain will want to see you.¡±


    ¡°Say,¡± Pert said, licking his lips as he eyed Marsel. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we could have a little fun first? It¡¯s been weeks since we left Darvigan and I¡¯m pent up.¡±


    ¡°They see the Captain first,¡± Hurnie stated.


    Pert looked like he was about to object when his partner slapped him across the back of the head, and Hurnie moved his hand away from the pistol tucked into his belt. ¡°Keep it in your pants, or you¡¯ll be swinging from the yardarm.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do with them?¡± Pert¡¯s partner asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll escort them to the ship,¡± Hurnie said. ¡°The two of you are to carry on with your work.¡±


    ¡°How come you get to skive?¡± Pert protested.


    ¡°Because I saw them first,¡± Hurnie grinned. ¡°Come on, get going.¡±


    The man drew a pistol and pointed it at Tash when she got up a little too quickly for his liking. ¡°Slowly now. The Captain only needs to question one of you.¡±


    ¡°Listen, we just want to be left alone,¡± Marsel said as Hurnie marched them through the jungle. ¡°We thank you for your kind offer, but we will find another way off the island.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for the Captain to decide,¡± Hurnie replied. ¡°And I should warn you to answer his questions truthfully. He has a knack for telling when people are lying and he doesn¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°Could you spare us some water, please?¡± Elran asked. ¡°We¡¯re parched.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the man replied simply.


    Soon, the sea became visible again as they emerged from the jungle. A ship was anchored out in the bay. The gold eagle of the Huldarian Empire fluttered proudly from her mast, and the name Nomad was emblazoned on her prow.

 Chapter 17

    Duglin strained as he, Tash, and Elran heaved the pinnace off the rocky shore and into the uncomfortably warm water. Hurnie was sitting at the prow with Marsel, aiming his primed pistol square at her chest. The small vessel was heavily laden with filled barrels of water, and unlike the Vesper¡¯s launch, she possessed a mast which had been dismantled on this occasion.


    ¡°Alright, get in, you lot,¡± Hurnie said while keeping his pistol trained on Marsel. He glanced at his ship, the Nomad that was resting at anchor two cables further out into the bay.


    Duglin spied a man on the quarterdeck watching them as they climbed onto the pinnace. However, there was no indication, no shout or ringing of bells to alert the rest of the crew.


    ¡°Pick up and oar and row us over,¡± Hurnie ordered. ¡°You, boy, you take the tiller. The big woman and the slave can row.¡±


    Elran blanched at being called a slave, but the doctor held his tongue and obediently picked an oar up. Duglin¡¯s heart was pounding as they began to row. As he steered the pinnace towards the Nomad, he saw the cannons gleaming from the gunports. By his best guess, there were eighteen guns on board in all, the smallest of which dwarfed the Vesper¡¯s four puny six pound gun, her cargo notwithstanding.


    As passed under the bow of the Imperial frigate, Marsel and Tash exchanged looks, and the sailmaker spoke. ¡°Say, what¡¯s your Captain like?¡±


    Their captor broke into a relaxed grin. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough, little missy.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s an Imperial ship doing all the way out here?¡± Tash piped up.


    Hurnie¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°You just focus on rowing.¡±


    The man had only taken his eyes off Marsel for a moment, but a moment was all she needed. The young woman grabbed the man¡¯s pistol, jamming her finger under the finger. As they struggled, Tash and Elran darted forward and joined the fray. The commotion caused the heavily laden pinnace to rock violently, obliging Duglin to stay where he was, and attempt to counter the rocking by shifting his weight.


    The scuffle was brief, and Tash soon hurled their captor overboard. The man surfaced quickly sputtering, and Duglin felt a pit of ice form in his stomach when he saw the pistol in his hand. Hurnie levelled his weapon at Duglin, who was the closest to him and pulled the trigger. The boy closed his eyes and heard a loud click. When he opened them again, he saw the Imperial cursing at his waterlogged weapon.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Tash cried as they manned the oars once again.


    ¡°Where do we go?¡± Duglin gasped. Everything had happened so quickly, and he could scarcely understand what was going on. ¡°Back to shore?¡±


    Tash shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re going out to sea.¡±


    ¡°But what about that?¡± Duglin asked as they passed under the heavy guns on the ship¡¯s broadside. ¡°We won¡¯t survive a hit from those cannons!¡±


    ¡°Hopefully, by the time they realize their man¡¯s gone for a swim, we¡¯ll be under her stern,¡± Tash said. ¡°There isn¡¯t much space in this bay, so they won¡¯t be turning in a hurry without help from their launch.¡±


    ¡°Good thing it¡¯s in safe hands, then,¡± Elran grinned.


    ¡°We still have to worry about their stern cannons,¡± Marsel warned as she made her way to the back of their vessel. ¡°Raise the mast, I¡¯ll steer.¡±


    Duglin rushed to obey and kept a wary eye on the frigate as he assembled the mast. It had been dismantled in a way that made it quick to deploy the sail, if necessary, which helped, but it was in reality still a two man job, and Duglin was unfamiliar with the rigging and took a moment to understand how it worked.


    ¡°Hurry up,¡± Tash warned as a bell began to sound on the Nomad.


    They passed under the stern and saw men looking at them, agog through the windows of the great cabin.


    ¡°We need to get out of musket range quickly!¡± Tash cried as Duglin hurriedly raised the mast. ¡°Turn us into the wind!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Marsel said as she looked over at the Nomad¡¯s stern. ¡°See those two windows? Those are the gunports. They don¡¯t have a shot on us so long as we stay on this angle.¡±


    ¡°I see guns!¡± Duglin warned as men armed with muskets ran past the gunports. ¡°What do I do?¡±


    ¡°Help us row!¡± Elran bellowed.


    Duglin heard loud cracks as he picked up an oar. Splashes of water nearby marked where the shots landed. They were dangerously close.


    ¡°Keep your heads down!¡± Tash cried.


    ¡°Maybe we should lighten our load!¡± Elran suggested as he glanced at the six filled water barrels.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stop to wrestle them off,¡± Tash replied. ¡°Besides, we need the water!¡±


    Her sentence was punctuated by a roar of thunder as the Nomad fired one of her stern cannons. A gout of water erupted twenty yards to their left, showering them in warm, stinking seawater.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°That was close!¡± Elran yelped, giving Marsel a concerned look.


    ¡°That was as close as they will get unless¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless what?¡± Duglin cried after Marsel¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°Unless they pull in their anchors to turn their ship,¡± Tash answered.


    The muscular woman stopped rowing for a moment to check the wind and then began hoisting the sail.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Marsel cried.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to outmanoeuvre them!¡± Tash yelled back.


    The pinnace lurched as the wind gathered in her sails. Tash ordered her oars shipped as she took over at the tiller and the others could only look over their shoulders anxiously as the Vesper¡¯s helmswoman took them on a course that would carry them across the Nomad¡¯s stern.


    There was another roar of thunder as the Imperial frigate¡¯s other cannon fired. Tash had anticipated this and altered course abruptly, throwing her crewmates about. The cannon shot passed dangerously close, and Duglin felt a rush of air as it whistled just ten yards shy of their vessel. Tash¡¯s violent manoeuvre caused a filled water barrel to oscillate dangerously, and Duglin and Elran managed to steady it before it tipped over.


    Duglin looked ahead and saw an opening in the reef. He then looked back over his shoulder at the Nomad. There was a gout of flame followed by a puff of smoke as the first stern cannon fired again. This shot splashed into the sea thirty yards to their right.


    ¡°Bloody good crew to fire off a second shot that quickly,¡± Marsel breathed. ¡°The good news is, I believe that¡¯s as far as they can angle their cannon.¡±


    The Nomad¡¯s crew continued firing their muskets, but the pinnace was well out of range by now, and Duglin watched, relieved, as the shots fell into the sea, well behind them. Soon, they stopped firing, and Tash frowned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± she frowned.


    On deck, Duglin could see the sailors scurrying about on the quarterdeck. Meanwhile, Erlan slumped over with his back against a gunwale. ¡°Maybe they decided they were just wasting gunpowder.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re up to something,¡± Duglin warned.


    ¡°Well, it scarcely matters,¡± Tash said as the distance between their vessel and the Nomad steadily increased. The open waters of the sea beckoned from beyond the reef up ahead.


    Marsel raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun. A moment later, she exclaimed. ¡°Tash, hard to port!¡±


    The boat rocked as Tash turned the tiller hard over before asking. ¡°Why? We¡¯re almost out!¡±


    A loud boom answered her question, followed by a crash. Elran cried out in pain as a filled water barrel landed on his outstretched leg, spilling its contents all over the boat.


    ¡°Bail that out!¡± Tash cried as she rolled the rapidly emptying barrel off the doctor¡¯s leg.


    ¡°But Elran!¡± Duglin protested as he began scooping the fresh water up in a bucket and tossing it over the side.


    ¡°The doctor will have to wait!¡± Tash exclaimed. ¡°We¡¯ll capsize if we go out into open seas with all that water sloshing about!¡±


    She then turned to Marsel. ¡°What was that?¡±


    Marsel held up a hand, and the pinnace¡¯s occupants fell silent when they became aware of a whistling sound fast approaching them. Duglin looked to the sky and felt a pit of ice appear in his stomach when he saw a black ball plummeting from the sky.


    ¡°Mortar!¡± Tash cried as another boom echoed from the Nomad¡¯s quarterdeck.


    Moments later, the first shot impacted the sea just yards ahead of their prow, showering them with seawater.


    ¡°Start rowing, start rowing!¡± Tash roared as their boat foundered from the sudden turn. Elran tore his attention from his leg and gritted his teeth from the pain as he repositioned himself.


    On Tash¡¯s orders, Duglin began rowing from the left while Marsel helped Elran on the right. The wind picked up again, and the pinnace picked up speed towards the gap. Then came a third roar from the Nomad as she fired her mortar again.


    ¡°Here it comes!¡± Marsel cried. ¡°Take cover, this one is going to be close!¡±


    The occupants of the pinnace ducked their heads. Their small vessel rocked violently as the shot plunged into the water less than five feet to her left.


    ¡°Row! Row for your lives!¡± Tash cried as they bobbed in the water, tossed about by the violent ripples the shot had created.


    There was no fourth shot even after the third shot fell well short of their vessel, but none on board could relax. The Imperial vessel could well still be hiding a few tricks up its sleeve. The Vesper¡¯s shore party eyed it warily as they rounded the reef and sailed along its outer circumference.


    ¡°How is it, doctor?¡±


    Elran gingerly touched his leg and sucked in his breath suddenly. ¡°I¡¯d say it''s fractured at the very least¡­¡±


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Duglin asked as he looked to the sky.


    ¡°We find the Vesper, Tash said.


    ¡°But we haven¡¯t found the second beacon,¡± Duglin pointed out.


    Tash shrugged. ¡°At least we have fresh water and now know we¡¯ve caught up with the Imperials.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t be leaving that bay in a hurry without their launch,¡± Marsel remarked.


    ¡°And what about ours?¡± Duglin asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to leave it behind,¡± Tash replied. ¡°We can¡¯t risk going back for it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s lucky we have a replacement,¡± Duglin offered as he went through the lockers under the seats. He frowned when he pulled out a small canvas bag.


    ¡°That¡¯s a medical pouch,¡± Elran said. ¡°Good find, Duglin. Could you hand it to me, please?¡±


    The doctor opened the pouch and grunted. ¡°It seems that this vessel is called the Vagabond.¡±


    Tash made a face. ¡°We¡¯ll have to rename it.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t our old launch have a name?¡± Duglin wondered.


    ¡°Because we lost so many for one reason or another that we just gave up on naming them,¡± Tash grinned.


    The light was beginning to wane when Marsel spotted the Vesper on the horizon. They had circumnavigated the island and seen no sign of the second beacon through the hazy skies. Their ship had been wary when they first spotted them, not recognizing the pinnace, but the confusion was cleared up soon enough, and the crew who had remained behind lined the deck as the shore party rowed their vessel alongside.


    ¡°We¡¯ve brought water,¡± Tash declared to cheers from the crew.


    ¡°My eyes must be playing tricks on me because that doesn¡¯t look like our launch,¡± Inder observed as the crew prepared to winch the barrels on board.


    ¡°Courtesy of the Empire,¡± Marsel called up softly from the pinnace, mindful of their passengers. The mood on board turned sober almost at once.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we didn¡¯t sight the second beacon either,¡± Elran added. The doctor¡¯s leg was in a splint. The wound had not broken the skin, but his exposed leg now had an ugly purple black weal on it.


    ¡°So, you bumped into the Nomad, and stole their launch,¡± Firch remarked.


    ¡°In essence,¡± Tash said. ¡°We¡¯ll give you our report later.¡±


    Firch nodded and turned to Raimala. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll have to go by dead reckoning. Are you up to it?¡±


    The pilot offered her Captain a feeble smile. ¡°It¡¯s not as though we have a choice, do we?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help where I can, but dead reckoning was never a strong suit of mine,¡± Firch said.


    ¡°Can we sail around the island so I can be sure of our bearings?¡± she asked.


    Firch looked down at the launch at Marsel, who had been listening. The young woman shook her head. ¡°Even without the help of a launch, that Imperial Captain will be out of the bay by now if he knows what he¡¯s doing. He could be lying in wait.¡±


    ¡°Or departing for our silver mine under full sail,¡± Firch said. ¡°We did well to catch up to them, but let¡¯s not let our hard work go to waste now, do we?¡±