Chapter 9

  A thunderous blast from above deck jerked Sannan awake that following morning. Wondering if it was a lightning storm, his first instinct was to check the window hole only to look up to a clear sky. Iftakar looked just as surprised as he. Within the next moment he was scrambling up to the deck with Sannan following right behind. Once at the top, the source of the commotion became clear to him.

  Zari stood near the ship’s bow with bright yellow veins coursing through her, akin to engine modules being powered by Lumix cores. She looked to be panting with her hands gripped tight around her bow. The captain’s daughter had always used a plain elderwood bow, but the one she had in hand Sannan had never seen before. Outlined with gold trim, it was an ornate thing with violet accents and an iridescent tassel pinned to one end.

  More surprising was what looked to have been a woundman, now charred and blackened beyond recognition, situated near the ship’s cabin. Most of Olberan’s crew stood in rows near the vessel’s railings, some with looks of awe and others of contemplation.

  “You’re still exerting yourself too much,” Captain Olberan said with a shake of his head. Standing not too far towards the left of his daughter, he had recently donned a tricorn hat with a peacock feather that Sannan could only assume was Alorrian fashion.

  Zari replied with a smile, “at this rate we are going to run out of targets. I can only hope we can stock up at Isle Durna.” Her veins were slowly subsiding, until she looked like her normal self again.

  “What’s going on there?” Sannan whispered to Hallmas.

  “An immense burst of elemental energy. Not even Arakh used–" The one time helmsman cut off right there. Recalling the attack on Rahlif’s crew always brought forth bad memories.

  Sannan ran over to Zari on impulse. She looked ready to nock another arrow despite there being no target for her.

  “Are you alright?”

  “I’ve done this a few times before.” Zari electrified her nocked arrow and fired it up in the air, frying a passing gull. The dead bird fell onto the deck several feet in front of her.

  With a satisfied look on her face, Zari went on, “there is no better feeling than landing a burst, tiring as it may be.”

  All around them, the crew was dispersing and resuming their day-to-day activities.

  “You should have seen her, boy.” Olberan laughed and clapped a hand on Sannan’s shoulder. “That weapon she’s using belonged to her mother, you know? Harandal was its name.”

  For a moment, Olberan fixed his daughter’s bow with a solemn look in his eyes. Zari cradled it as if it were some long lost treasure, lost in her own thoughts.

  The captain’s eyes lit up. “My wife was one of the strongest women I knew. She would have the guts to face down the Pirate Empress herself. And we ran this crew together until… Until…”

  Olberan shook his head. “Ah, let’s not dwell on the past. Azala?”

  Sannan had not even noticed the woman was standing right behind him, tinkering with the rota she had shown him the day before. She was back in her overalls, which were no cleaner than when he first saw them.

  “Yes, captain?” Azala slipped the toy into her overall pocket and regarded Olberan casually.

  “How much distance could we cover if we have Tanzeel’s Spear accelerate in intermittent intervals, say for about three hours?”

  “About thirty four nautical miles, but you do understand the engine needs to be given ample time to cool? We don’t want the Lumix cores to burn out.”

  Olberan demanded, “desperate times call for desperate measures, Azala. Some other crew sailing under Erbosa’s banner might be under attack as we speak! An order is an order. Let us accelerate at once.”

  Without giving Azala any time to speak, the captain stormed off with a shark’s tooth clenched so tightly in his hand Sannan wondered if it would break.

  “One day he will tell me about this grudge of his,” Zari said with a scowl as she watched her father leave. “Even during the Battle of Port Tarasque, he was never this tense. I feel the only thing that could get him this riled up would have something to do with… mother.”

  Sannan placed a hand on her shoulder. “Believe me, Zari. If I could help in any way with this situation–”

  “This is a matter between the two of us,” Zari butted in, then drew down her eyes in regret. “My apologies, I know you just wanted to help.”

  Her face took on a heated expression, and she muttered something under her breath before going below deck.

  Well, an order is an order,” Azala said. “But if anything happens to the engines, he will have to compensate for them. Now then Sannan, once I have readied the engine for fast travel, let us test to see if you could reconstruct that Kamera successfully.”

  The thought just dawned on Sannan that he had not even tried out the Kamera’s functions yet. After taking the time to fetch it from his room, he came to starboard to take in the view of the sea. A gray-blue expanse stretched out as far as the eye can see, whitecaps breaking against the lancer’s hull as it sliced its way across the ocean. Several clouds dotted the sky; massive white giants looming over the world below. Readying his Kamera, Sannan took a wideview shot of the sea and saved it. The still image instantly came up on display, though he could not make out the finer details due to the size of the screen. Still, it was a triumph.

  Sannan Kizmata, however, craved to do more. A more advanced Kamera, perhaps. He wanted to create artifices that could touch the skies and sail the seas. For just an instant, the sail of a swordfish broke the calm waters, but vanished before he had the chance to whip up the Kamera. Not that much would be captured, anyways.

  Tanzeel’s Spear accelerated a moment after, and Sannan’s first instinct was to grip the railing as if his life depended on it. Surprisingly, the boost was not as pronounced as it was last time. It made sense; Azala wanted to conserve the energy stored in the Lumix cores, after all. As the ocean sped by, Sannan was hit with a wave of nausea. It took much of his willpower to stop himself from bending over and throwing up. And so for the next few minutes he clutched the railing with his eyes closed until the sensation stopped. Sannan sighed. Just when I thought I was cut out for sailing.

  That afternoon, Hallmas trained him in the art of dagger combat.

  “If you’re not going to learn the sword, you might as well pick these up,” Hallmas said after handing over a pair of daggers to Sannan. They were of a plain design with bronze trim on the handles.

  “Sturdy things, and easier to conceal than a sword. I’ll give you a moment to try them out.”

  Sannan spun one of the daggers clumsily, then started performing a series of slashes and jabs. Based on Hallmas’s expression, he could only assume he was embarrassing himself.

  “I’m not sure if I quite like the feel of them. What about one of those short swords that Sarhidians use? I believe they are called Nastara?”

  Hallmas replied, “I am afraid my experience with that weapon is limited. You will have to make do with knives unless you can find someone else on this ship who wields a Nastara.”

  Sannan conceded to learning the daggers, and as day turned to night, he was surprised Estaval would let their training session last this long.

  When he inquired about it, Hallmas smiled. “The first mate has been confined to rest in her rooms. Even the captain agreed she has been pushing herself too hard.”

  By the time Sannan stepped out of the training room, he was just proficient enough not to end up cutting himself with those daggers.

  …

  Under the light of Azala’s room lamps, Sannan successfully reconstructed the Kamera with three errors made along the way. He expected as much if not worse, but what he did not expect was for Zari to enter the room, unstrung elderwood bow strapped to her back.

  “Forgive me if I am interrupting, but I just want something to take my mind off things,” Zari said as she cleared a pile of cylinders off the bed so she could sit.

  “It’s fine so long as you don’t go handling everything you see in this room. Now then, Sannan, I would say your reconstruction of the Kamera was commendable work. Just remember that whatever you do, the capture cylinder must be inserted before the storage drive.”

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Either one of you willing to whip up an upgrade for my bow?” Zari interjected.

  Sannan grinned. “I would be up for it. But what on your bow needs upgrading?”

  “Um, how about making my regular elderwood bow into something like Harandal?”

  Azala laughed with mirth. “Engineering is not magic, young lady. Harandal was probably forged during the Second Age, by some means lost to time.”

  Sannan inquired, “what if those means could be rediscovered?”

  “The engineers of Ostrava have found a way to recreate those great machines from the Second Age.” Azala shrugged. “By all means, I suppose it is possible for smithers to recreate those fantastical weapons. Now, take a look at this rota.”

  That small, wagon-like toy was gently placed on the table next to the finished Kamera.

  “Just as the Luxin prism was the key to the Kamera’s function, so too is the Ivex core for this rota. These are harder to come about precisely because a Lumix core must be broken down to create it, through a complex process called hatching. The Lumix core is the smallest natural form of condensed ether, and perhaps the Gods saw fit to punish those who would disrupt its structure.”

  Zari was sitting cross legged on the bed with an intent look on her face.

  “As a pirate, I do wonder what the selling price would be for an Ivex core.”

  Azala gave a hint of a smile. “My dear, these are exclusively sold in the High City. The smuggling of Ivex cores is one of many crimes punishable by death. I was lucky to acquire one while I was there.”

  Sannan idly rolled the rota back and forth on the table. “How does its engine work?”

  “Excellent question. It’s a fundamental law of nature known as ether dispersion. Using this conduit, the energy stored in the Ivex core is converted into a form that will power this toy for a set amount of time.” At the mention of conduit, Sannan felt a rush of anticipation. Azala had indicated an almost rectangular chip inlaid with a silvery metal he suspected was anything but silver. This is it, the key to bringing artifices to life.

  …

  With the passage of another day, Sannan continued to hone his skills in dagger fighting, crossbow archery, and most importantly, engineering. Never would he have imagined a pirate crew of all people to aid him in his preparation for the journey yet to come. Looking back, he felt incredibly reckless thinking he could explore the High City with the skills he had at the time. And the Ostravans despise them, Sannan thought to himself. These pirates who took me in and taught me so much. Funny to think there was a time where I wanted to escape from them.

  The rota he reconstructed without a single mistake. Indeed, the concept of how its engine operated was the most important aspect of its design. With the promise of the next project being a simple artifice, Sannan eagerly awaited the coming of dusk the following day.

  A blazing sun at noon cast an oppressive heat down on the crew of Tanzeel’s Spear that was mitigated somewhat by the cool ocean winds blowing in from the south. Sannan was in the midst of maneuvering around a dagger thrust from Hallmas when the sounds of feet drumming on wood caught his attention, followed by muffled shouts.

  “Now what could this be all about,” Hallmas said as he peeked his head out the cabin’s window hole. Towards the port side of the vessel, a formidable pirate ship loomed in the distance. Sannan could barely make out Erbosa’s intertwined serpents on the sail even from where he stood. Judging from its size at that faraway distance, it had to be at least twice as large as Tanzeel’s Spear.

  Sannan and Hallmas immediately hurried up to the top deck and observed the incoming vessel. On closer inspection, it looked to be a modified Induran galleon, with scorpion ballistas mounted on its sides and blood red streaks running down the sides of its hull. That pair of intertwined serpents on the sail bore more detail than the ones on Olberan’s ship; Mighty oceanic leviathans with teeth picked out in blood red. Even the figurehead attached to the bow resembled a woman with the rearing head of a ferocious sea serpent.

  “Captain Olberan! Long time no see,” Sarvaq called from the other ship. Although he was Sarhidian, the crew was composed of mostly Indurans with wicked curved swords tucked into their sheaths. A few had those thick cloth wraps around their heads.

  Olberan beamed. “Why, Captain Sarvaq! How about we meet up on your ship to catch up on current affairs, savvy?”

  The other pirate captain let out a hearty laugh. Gonspiet the parrot-lizard mimicked it with a high pitched cry. Perched on the large man’s shoulder, it was eyeing Captain Olberan’s crew curiously.

  “Of course, come on over!” Olberan’s crew brought down the rhustra to provide a walkway between the two ships. By the time Sannan made his way over, he noticed a disgruntled Rahlif sweeping the deck.

  “I spared his life and had him working on my crew in exchange for the location of the pearlseed distributor,” Sarvaq explained to his friend.

  Olberan replied, “Erbosa is going to love this. Where is the location? Alorria? Perhaps Valar?”

  Sarvaq shook his head. “The city of Kesaya. From what I heard, he is some big shot in the criminal underworld. And the moment he catches wind of his operation being compromised, he disappears like a phantom. But still, at least now we know who we’re dealing with, and getting a hold of his pearlseed stock will surely boost the Pirate Empress’s bargaining power.”

  As the two captains spoke, Rahlif approached his former helmsman. “I cannot believe you are kissing up to these pirates, Hallmas.”

  Hallmas crossed his arms and replied with a stern face, “you knew the risks of smuggling Rahlif, as well as what the pirate lords would do for pearlseed.”

  An unfamiliar man’s voice called, “back to work smuggler!”

  Rahlif stopped what he was about to say and shot Hallmas a pointed look before departing with his broomstick.

  The former smuggler never so much as glanced in Sannan’s direction. As the man who agreed to ferry him out of Port Besaar, he felt like he owed him. Yet those gold tokens had been confiscated, and Olberan never offered him any significant allowance since Esanbal. Sometimes he forgot he lived among pirates who often reneged on deals without a second thought. I certainly cannot continue on forever as a pirate, but what about Zari? Just the thought of taking her to see the city state of Alorria warmed his heart.

  Right as he was thinking about her, she prodded him behind the shoulder.

  “Sarvaq gave us permission to view his Chalassa collection. You would not mind taking a look, now would you?”

  Sannan answered eagerly. “Oh, of course!”

  Nestled within the heart of the galleon was an assortment of some of the finest Chalassa sculptures Sannan had ever laid eyes upon. Impressive as the sculptures were back at the Jar’haavan tavern, these were an alchemical blend of agate and mother of pearl. Marbled swirls alternating from ruby red to pearlescent white dominated nearly every item displayed in Sarvaq’s oakwood shelves. These were mounted onto the floor with fixed glass casings surrounding each row of sculptures.

  Sannan would have been tempted to get a feel of the material if it were not for the glass barriers. Every animal was lifelike and carved with immaculate precision, as if the Earth God had petrified them all mid-motion.

  “Sometimes my old man jokes that if Sarvaq were an enemy pirate, this collection would have been his long ago.” Zari pointed to a Chalassa sculpture unlike any other; a gorgeous dancer with ribbons of gushing water flowing around her in a spiral.

  “It is common belief that Nereid takes the form of a dancer. Do you think that the sculptor could have seen the Goddess in person, to have carved something like this?”

  Given that it was on the top shelf, Sannan had to raise himself on his toes to get a better look. Even the face of the carving was picked out with exquisite detail. Somehow it was done such that the head was all pearl white, with the dress alternating through shades of red.

  “A divine vision, perhaps,” Sannan mused. “Or more likely this was the sculptor’s own take on what she would look like. I do believe I owe her a prayer for placing me on a pirate crew not made up of cutthroat murderers.”

  Zari snapped, “you owe her penance for almost killing some of Olberan’s crew with your cannon shells, back when we were trying to board your ship!”

  “It was in self defense,” Sannan replied, waving his hand dismissively.

  A rough voice spoke up from behind, “I am glad to see you two appreciating my collection.”

  Captain Sarvaq swaggered into the room, with one of his crew members following close behind. With his piercing stare and angular face, the Induran had the look of a predatory condor that was further exemplified by a black feathered scarf tied around his neck.

  “Sarvaq, you know well this collection never ceases to amaze me,” Zari said with a smile. “I have always wondered where you got yourself that Nereid carving in the top right.”

  Sarvaq teased, “If you slay the Abyssal Leviathan, not only will I tell you, but you could have it as well.”

  “That would be assuming I would want it in the first place.”

  Sarvaq’s companion broke in, “captain, you still cannot be serious about accommodating Olberan’s crew. We simply do not have enough food to go around, and if his crew does not pitch in–”

  The hawk-eyed man was silenced with a glare. “We shall treat them to a meal, Akash,” Sarvaq asserted. “I will hear no more arguments from you. After all, it has been a while since we had an opportunity like this.”

  With nothing left to say, Akash nodded demurely before leaving the room.

  “Strange, I thought the captain was in a hurry to reach Isle Durna,” Zari muttered.

  “Isle Durna is not too far away from here, so Olberan relented after a bit of persuasion. Besides, you remember our resident cook’s Sa’aam? Surely it would not hurt to get a bite of that before continuing on your way?”

  Sa’aam would normally spoil on a ship, but rumors have spread of cooks utilizing some newfound means of preservation and storage.

  Sannan nodded in agreement. “A change from that stale fish stew would be most welcome, captain.”