Chapter 10
By the time the sun began fading into a slash of brilliant orange on the horizon, crew members from both ships were sharing stories over cups of baskat. Some sparred with curved blades while others played cards in small gatherings scattered throughout the decks of both ships. Indeed, there was not enough food to go around, yet that gave a few pirates reason to raise the stakes of their card games; the winners would help themselves to a tantalizing serving of Sa’aam. Zari bit a piece of meat off a skewer as she watched a group of pirates from both crews dance to the tune of a flute. The song carried the essence of a sparkling oasis, evoking the familiarity of the Sanay desert both Sarhidians and Zaran called home. To think a sea of water would be just as inhospitable as the sea of sand from which they came, if not for different reasons.
Phosphorescent silver shone down to replace the waning light of the sun, illuminating the Thalassian Sea with a ghostly ambiance. Sannan had just recently finished the last few chunks of fish on his skewer, having earned the right to the Sa’aam after holding his own against Hallmas in a knife fight.
Estaval congratulated him, “impressive that you were able to take Hallmas on with only a few day’s worth of training. Most impressive.”
She looked well rested, and had her hair done up in a thick ponytail for a change. Almost unrecognizable from her haggard old self. Estaval’s portion of Sa’aam was supplemented by a bowl of fish soup and saltbread.
“Perhaps having him train you is a better use of his time, rather than scrubbing the lower decks,” Estaval said as she bit a slice of fish off her skewer. Flickering flames from a nearby lamp revealed a subtle smile on her face.
Sannan scratched his head and gave the woman a nervous smile. High praise indeed, coming from the first mate of a seasoned pirate crew.
“Maybe there’s a thing or two I could learn from you, Estaval.”
“Nonsense. As far as I am concerned, you want to spend the rest of your days with that golden haired recluse. I just don’t understand it. How you never grow bored with tinkering.”
“Hmm.” Sannan tapped his clean skewer against his chin. “How would you like to hear a story?”
He continued on after an approving nod from both Estaval and Zari. “There once was a brilliant mechanic who dreamed of designing a flying machine. Not like one of those blimps. A ship that traversed the skies just as well as these pirate ships traverse the seas. His daughter always wanted to touch the clouds and to soar amongst the quetzals. For years the mechanic toiled to get his invention to work, but to no avail. There simply was no way for such a vessel to sustain itself in the air for extended periods of time.
“Years passed, and before he knew it, his daughter had all grown up. No longer did she wish for her father to throw more years of his life into a machine that did not work. He was finally prepared to give up after countless failures, when an updraft caught his contraption during a test flight. So strong was it that it carried the skyship all around the world of Etheria. The mechanic saw it as the will of the Gods to continue on with his work. A divine wind sent by the Wind Goddess Veldia.”
“So he got it to work then,” Zari exclaimed.
“Indeed. His daughter was the first among thousands who would get to ride the skyships he pioneered. An old tale, and one that was likely exaggerated since the Age of Advancement.” Sannan idly swooshed his skewer around trying to imagine the sheer wonder of mankind achieving flight.
“The skyships have now been lost to time, but so many ancient advancements are being rediscovered in the High City as we speak. Truth be told, if I ever get there I will not know where to start. Engines? Automatons, or as they call them, artifices? Life is simply too short to try specializing in all these fields.”
“I for one think you should get that automaton working.” Zari had a pack of those distasteful biscuits in her hand, but was making no move to chew on any. “Do not try acting clueless. Many of us in the crew know you talk to it like it is your best friend when nobody is around.”
“Not as of late,” Sannan protested heatedly. “But you do have a point. The sooner I can get my hands on the required conduit, the better.”
A loud voice sounded over the racket of celebrating pirates. “That’s enough festivities for one night!” Captain Olberan could bellow as loud as war horn when he wanted to. Standing to his side was a disgruntled Sarvaq, with a look on his face implying he wanted both crews carousing until sunrise.
No matter how drunk some of the crew members were, the order from the captain got them packing away food and clearing cards immediately. Sannan led his small gathering across the rhustra, with Estaval following close behind him. Before Zari could cross, Sarvaq stopped her to whisper something into her ear, then sent her on her way. It was hard to tell Zari’s expression, though it was clear she was grinning. That coupled with the pale moonlight gave her the look of a mischievous ghost. As Captain Olberan bid farewell to his friend, Gonspiet made a move to steal one of his bracelets. Scowling, Sarvaq slapped his strange pet on the back and sent it scurrying away with an angry squawk.
“Let us make haste to Isle Durna,” Olberan ordered once the two ships parted ways, sailing in opposite directions. “I want us sleeping in comfortable beds tonight. Well, my cabin bed is comfortable enough, but I cannot say the same for some of you.”
While the captain spoke, Sannan watched as Sarvaq’s ship, the Blood Serpent, cruised away across pitch black waters. He could not help but wonder if that ship had its own Lumix core powered engine, and an engineer to operate it. Unlikely, given the size, but still a possibility.
“I was just thinking, Sannan. Isle Durna has the perfect firing range for honing your accuracy with the crossbow.” Zari came to his side and watched the Blood Serpent depart. Sarvaq’s modified galleon was already a formidable sight by day, but by night its silhouette brought to mind a gargantuan sea monster.
Sannan replied, “I can already guess that was where Ammad trained to be the captain’s sniper. To be honest, I doubt I can ever be as good as him or you when it comes to–”
A thunderous explosion cut him off, as scarlet flames erupted across the side of the Blood Serpent. Sannan had not noticed a massive cylindrical vessel had just risen from the ocean’s depths, partly concealed by the hulking galleon’s own shadow. Signal flares were being sent up, exploding into crimson bursts of smoke that illuminated the night sky.
“Sarvaq’s crew is under attack!” Shouts rang out all throughout the deck of Tanzeel’s Spear. Several crewmates ran to the stern of the ship to get a better view of what was happening, as others began reorienting the sails to turn the ship around.
“Could it be?” Captain Olberan’s hands gripped the stern railing as he squinted at the partly submerged iron vessel. Howitzer cannons stuck out of its side alongside a boarding ramp. Inhuman shapes crawled out onto the ramp like ants emerging from an anthill and flooded into the Blood Serpent.
Olberan gritted his teeth. “No wonder the Sea Snake has been so unpredictable. He has somehow acquired one of those submersible ironclads.”
“We’re assuming it's him?” Estaval inquired in bewilderment.
“Who else has been targeting the Fleet of the Iron Serpent as frequently as he?” Olberan had a wild grin on his face, but his eyes radiated malice. “Today it all ends!”
Tanzeel’s Spear had made a complete turn, and accelerated forth against a gust of ocean wind. Captain Olberan clung onto his tricorn hat to prevent it from leaving his head.
“Get out your cannon, lad. It's in my cabin.” Realizing that the order was directed at him, Sannan’s eyes widened in shock.
“What was the point of giving me that crossbow?” He asked incredulously.
“Just do as I say. That enemy crew is not to be trifled with!”
“Wait,” Zari called, but Sannan was below deck in a heartbeat. Once at the captain’s cabin, he was surprised to find his inventory of shells had been restored. Sannan briefly inspected the cannon and balanced it on his shoulder to get a feel of the weight. Cries sounded above deck, which could only mean Olberan’s crew had engaged the enemy. The burning flames from Sarvaq’s ship can be seen just outside the cabin’s window hole. Heart pounding like a sledgehammer, Sannan hurried back above deck to be greeted with a scene out of a nightmare.
Immediately he saw that the Sea Snake’s men were not human. They all walked on two legs, but their features were distorted with the characteristics of marine life. Octopus tentacles, the lord of thorns starfish, the naaray eel; sea animal parts grew out of places they never should have occupied. One with a foaming crab mouth and a left arm dominated by a crab’s claw rammed his pincer through a one eyed pirate holding a broken falchion. Another with a human mouth but a reef shark’s snout for a head hurled a liquid projectile that tore through several pirates before dissipating into water droplets.
Do not question what is happening. Just shoot! Sannan launched an explosive projectile intended for a squid armed pirate’s head but ended up hitting his abdomen instead. The cephalopod fused into the pirate’s arm flailed its tentacles wildly as blood spurted from its host’s left flank. Before he even had time to collapse, he was swiftly knocked aside by a hulking brute with lionfish spines protruding from his head. Fish-like eyes locked onto Sannan, the pirate barreled towards him like a charging auroch, spines outstretched to pierce him where he stood. Sannan made a move to leap out of the way, but an electric arrow lodged itself into the side of the lionfish head, paralyzing the pirate from head to toe.
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“The Sea Snake is on Sarvaq’s ship,” Zari called out. She deftly nocked another arrow and shot a barracuda mouthed pirate through the chest before he could get near.
“Let’s go!” Sannan nodded in reply and rushed towards the rhustra connecting the two ships. Considering the Sea Snake’s ironclad was between both ships, Tanzeel’s Spear was slanted at an angle such that the rhustra could be lowered successfully.
Flames were spreading all throughout the Blood Serpent, climbing its mast and enveloping a few sections of wooden plank. The ferocious intertwined serpents displayed on the sail had all but burned away to charred tatters. Zari and Sannan arrived to find the bodies of pirates lying scattered around them. With a sullen expression, the captain’s daughter stared at the body of Ammad, who had a bite taken out of his neck. Captain Sarvaq lay slumped against the steering wheel of his ship, bleeding heavily and taking ragged breaths. The large man appeared to have taken a sword slash to the chest.
Sannan fired a shell aimed at an approaching eel pirate readying to finish the dying man off, right as Zari was doing the same with her bow. Reflexively, the eel twisted its neck to avoid Zari’s arrow, but the cannon shell blew its left arm off. As the eel began writhing in pain, Gonspiet grappled onto the pirate’s shoulder and finished it off with a knife slash.
“Useless fool!” That rasping voice came from the captain of this amphibious crew. At least, that was what the epaulets on his silver coat indicated. A golden scaled, turquoise banded sea snake emerged from where a human’s head should have been. But what struck Sannan as most disturbing was the creature’s eyes; all too human eyes with sea green pupils, peering out the sockets of an inhuman head. The serpent’s mouth twisted into something close to a grimace.
Hallmas carefully approached the monster with his sword up in a guard position, accompanied by two other members of Olberan’s crew wielding crossbows. Great, Sannan thought. If we could just distract the Sea Snake-
In an instant, the serpent’s head shot out like a harpoon as it buried its fangs into Hallmas’s neck. The Kesani only had time to let out a strangled gasp as his skin began to pale and his veins began to swell. Crossbow bolts came soaring straight towards the Sea Snake, right as Sannan let loose an explosive shell. Anger burned in his eyes as he witnessed a fiery explosion erupt at the spot where the Sea Snake stood. Already he knew with that fast acting poison, he would never take another lesson from Hallmas again.
Coruscating flames covered the ship to the extent that Zari and Sannan had to maneuver their way towards the starboard side to avoid getting singed.
“Did we get him?” Sannan peered closer towards the collision site, where the smoke was beginning to die down. Hallmas’s body lay close to the site, but there was no Sea Snake corpse. Screams filled the air as the two men that accompanied Hallmas were cut down one after another, crossbows dropping onto the charred planks.
Zari said, “if that did not get him, this will.” Flashing yellow energy enveloped her body as she pulled back on her bowstring.
The rasping voice shouted, “clear some of this fire, Thavion! I want a better look at who else is shooting at us.” From behind a wall of flames, a ball of condensed water rapidly swelled before it was thrown down. A circular splash of water like an upturned fountain doused most of the flames across the port side. Stepping forward was the shark headed crew mate, with blue energy coursing through him and inlaid blue orbs pulsating within his steel backed gauntlets. Zari narrowed her eyes in concentration as she let loose her arrow.
With a flash of lightning energy, the arrow took on the appearance of a predatory fish with its jaw outstretched, right before crashing headfirst into what Sannan had to assume was the Sea Snake’s first mate. The shark man only had enough time to block with his gauntlets before he was flung from the deck of the ship.
“I thought you were aiming for their captain.” Sannan’s voice was filled with dread as the Sea Snake began approaching in the distance, furious sea green eyes directed at the pair.
Zari bent down with her hands on her knees, panting. “Does not matter. That one was going to be a threat anyways.”
“A cannoneer,” the serpent rasped. “And a lightning wielder. As tempting as it is to kill you both, I did promise my benefactor test subjects.” He brandished his platinum rapier in his left hand. “Do not worry, the poison laced into this sword is not lethal.”
“I don’t know what you are,” Sannan breathed. “All I know is that your string of murders ends here!” Just as he prepared to fire the next loaded shell at the Sea Snake, Captain Olberan brought his serpent spine sword up to block the cannon.
“He’s mine.” Olberan fixed the snake headed monster before him with a heated stare, a simmering flame in his eyes that has burned for years on end.
“Dad, let us help you!” Zari had a stubborn set to her chin that implied she was not taking no for an answer. Instead of answering, Olberan barked, “Zevros!”
The enemy pirate visibly flinched upon hearing the name. “It has been some time since I have heard that name,” he said in astonishment. “Come to think of it, I feel I have seen you before.” What happened next was a blur in Sannan’s eyes, but Olberan and the Sea Snake were locked in intense combat. Zevros’s rapier darted in and out in an attempt to find an opening in Olberan’s guard, but the Sarhidian provided him none, expertly parrying every thrust. Both were moving so fast that Sannan had trouble keeping up with the action. It was obvious, however, that Olberan’s serpent spine blade was in a different configuration akin to a broadsword.
After a lengthy series of exchanges, both combatants were getting short of breath.
“Fast as always with that… rapier…” Olberan grinned confidently. “Not that that’s going to save you.”
“Olberan, was it?” That sea snake mouth was curled into an approximation of a human smile. “As you can obviously tell, I am not the man I once was. I am above any human!”
Another cannon shell was fired at Zevros, but he dodged the explosion with ease. Olberan, on the other hand, was almost caught up in it.
“Zari, Sannan, stay out of this!” Olberan yelled. “We are in Erbosa’s territory anyways. It is only a matter of time before reinforcements arrive.”
“You forget just how many men I have brought with me.” Zevros pointed at the two youngsters. “Seize them!”
Before Sannan could even turn around, it was too late. A pair of arms as thick as his thighs wrapped around him. Kicking and thrashing was of no use; Sannan was locked in a vice grip. Zari was faring no better, being held down on the wooden planks screaming as an octopus pirate tried binding her arms behind her back.
“Zari!” Captain Olberan made a move towards them, but was quickly intercepted by Zevros and was forced to block a rapier strike.
Zevros hissed, “I’m your opponent, remember?” His head extended out to bite Olberan’s neck, but the serpent spine blade was a greatsword once more. At that point the Sea Snake disengaged the bind to step out of the way of a heavy swing.
“My stamina is superior to that of a human, Olberan. Just how long do you think you can hold out?” Olberan barely had enough time to return his sword back to its lighter configuration before the two were once again clashing as if time had sped up around them.
Back towards the ship’s stern, Sannan knew he was not going to overpower his captor with sheer strength alone. He did remember he had a knife concealed in his waistcoat, and twisted his hand until the hilt was within his grasp. Remembering what happened to the man who had given him those weapons only filled him with rage. With all the strength he could muster in the position he was in, Sannan plunged the dagger into his captor’s shin, driving it in as deep as possible. Those thick arms loosened enough that Sannan was able to get in a few more stabs.
A wordless howl sounded behind him as he turned around to see his scorpionfish headed assailant clutching a leg in pain. It only took a moment for him to pick up his cannon and blast the pirate at near point blank range, the explosion ringing in his ears. Just as he rounded on the octopus pirate, Zari managed to tear off one of her captor’s tentacles, though he still had six wrapped around her. Sannan hefted his cannon like a club and bashed the pirate’s bulbous head in until his tentacles loosened. To his relief, Zari was able to squirm free, dripping with wet slime as she got back to her feet. Right as the pirate tried using his tentacled arms to disarm Sannan, Zari stabbed an arrow through his chest with a sickening crunch. The octopus pirate collapsed, tentacles continuing to writhe as if they had a mind of their own.
Zari looked back at the two captains and lamented, “I can’t assist dad. They are moving so fast that I might end up hitting the wrong target.”
One of the masts had collapsed to leave a flaming barrier that partially obscured the sword fight taking place on the other side.
“You heard what he said,'' Sannan pleaded as he took her arm. “We need to get off this ship and pray Erbosa’s reinforcements arrive in time.”
“But–”
“That was his order!” Sannan scanned his surroundings for any more of Zevros’s pirates, and saw a lean woman climbing up onto the ship’s railings. To his horror, he noticed a starfish was growing out in place of the woman’s face.
With visible hesitation, Zari nodded and followed him back across the rhustra and onto Tanzeel’s Spear. Much of the fighting had died down, though there were still a few ongoing skirmishes. Twisted human corpses distorted by sea creature anatomies lay scattered all across the deck. Very much a scene out of a story conjured by a drunken sailor. The two of them made their way down to the vessel’s loading bay, where Azala was fixing a cylindrical engine onto the back of one of two escape boats the crew kept on hand. Several other less experienced crew members waited nearby, eager to get on board. It was then that a thought just occurred to Sannan.
“Khanrea. I cannot leave this ship without him!”
Azala snapped, “do you have a death wish? A new automaton could always be built. You, on the other hand, have one and only one life.”
Tears were welling up in Sannan’s eyes before he even realized it. Zari gripped his right arm, right as he was about to commit to a mad dash towards the storage room.
“You just told me to heed my father’s last order, and now you wish to pull this off?” Zari shook her head in disbelief. “It’s as Azala said. You could always build yourself a new mechanical partner.”
By then, Sannan’s head was a whirl of emotions. All of his memories building his automatons, declaring A104 to be the one to accompany him on his travels, came flooding in. One of the waiting crew members, a stout deck sweeper no older than Sannan himself, looked upon him with visible worry. The others tried to ignore what was going on and glanced at the boats like they were salvation brought upon by the Gods.
Azala had just about finished installing the engine when a few of Zevros’s pirates came storming down the stairs from above deck. Snarling in an incomprehensible, guttural manner, the pirates charged the escapees with hooked swords and spiked polearms. At the forefront was the crab pirate, mouth foaming with bubbles as he swung his claw arm out batter down Azala. Unfortunately for him, the Valean ducked down and jammed a driver fixed with a sharp metal rod right through his armored abdomen. The crab mouthed pirate had barely any time to react before a pulse of energy reverberated through his body, rendering him unconscious.
“Get on the boat,” Azala urged right as a pirate with a clam shell head restrained her from behind. No, I could at least save her! Sannan readied his cannon with the intent of firing the explosive to the pirate’s side to frighten him into letting the woman go.
Searing, fiery pain took over all his senses. Maybe it was his imagination, but his vision was turning red. “What just…”
Instinctively he touched his right flank and saw blood. Not again.
He felt Zari’s electric arrow breeze by his right ear, hitting something standing behind him. Gritting his teeth and drinking in the pain, Sannan unsheathed his dagger and charged the clam shell pirate holding Azala hostage. You will come with me to the High City, Azala. Please just make it out of this!
…
Sannan opened his eyes to a view of the night sky, glistening with countless shimmering stars. His whole body felt numb, though he supposed it was a better alternative than having to endure the pain. The pain… The sea pirate attack…
“Where is Azala?” He sat straight up to see Zari sitting across from him with Harandal laid across her lap. Her expression said it all. Uncontrollably, Sannan began to sob. Not even the most idyllic view of the stars could stifle the flow of tears.
