What a fine day it was! Droplets of frigid water were bursting against the deck like Sherri’s crystal arrows and my coat-cape billowing behind me. I had my arms crossed and a stern expression that betrayed no emotion. If only there was a painter aboard to capture me standing there at the tip of the ship! Extending before me, from the sea to the clouds, was a swirling mass of opaque fog. Within the fog was a whirlpool, and smack-dab in the center of the whirlpool was our goal. I laughed to myself. To think it was so close, yet so very far. I turned around and grabbed hold of a metal pipe jutting from the deck.
“Alright you idiots, this it! The final stretch! Screw up here and the entire voyage will have been for nothing! Steel your hearts and sharpen your minds, because this will be The Escallion’s most difficult mission yet!” I shouted into the pipe. I held down my captain’s cap as a gale blew past, then cleared my throat and continued. “Remember what you’re fighting for. Your friends, your families, the riches that await you, me, Sherri, and most of all . . . to stick it to that punk Priscillanna Afinsheer! Now, as your acting captain, this is my one and only order! Do your very best! Got that?”
The whole ship echoed with cheers. I smiled and stepped back, as my work was done. I removed my cap and coat-cape with a sigh. It was a short-lived reign as captain of The Escallion, but it’s better to have reigned temporarily than to never have reigned at all. I passed the two pieces of clothing to Sherri and stepped aside. She put them on and grabbed the pipe.
“Hello! This is acting captain Sherri speaking!” There was another, albeit smaller cheer from below deck. “Just like former acting captain Darni said, please do your best! I know that things might seem scary, but we can do anything as long as we work together! I— don’t have anything else to say, so thank you for listening!” She removed the cap and coat and handed them to Captain Kastel, who had been standing off to the side watching.
He redonned his cap, slung his coat over his shoulder, and took the pipe for himself. “You heard the girls! Anyone caught slacking is getting tossed into the drink! You lads have done this before, so no excuses! We breach the fog wall in five minutes!” He stepped back from the pipe and turned to us, his eyes blazing. “Hightail it to the bridge! The Klazmitz will be on us in two minutes!”
Just as the captain said, The Klazmitz’ bright red hull was just barely visible through the fog. They were directly to the left of us and traveling at the same speed. According to Ufie they’d had their ballistae trained on us all morning and were likely waiting until we were at our most vulnerable to strike. That moment would come when we breached the palace’s wall of protective fog and slipped into the current of its whirlpool.
The three of us ran across the deck, weaving through the members of the ballistae crews as they finished their final checks, and rushed up to the bridge. The captain kicked open the door and vaulted into his chair with a smile. Nard was swinging the wheel left and right to keep us steady in the furious stormy tides. Jedda was shouting orders into her pipes at a lighting pace, and Ufie was leaning over her feeding her coordinates, bearings, and other information. Sherri and I held on to the sides of the captain’s chair and braced for the coming action.
“Jedda, status report!” said the captain.
“Aye aye sir. All shot binders are loaded. All ballistae are angled. Port and starboard firing decks report all green. Doctor Heize is in position. All sails are at half and the wings are angled as per your instruction. Boarding parties one and two are ready to shove off. THAT has been loaded and is ready for launch,” she said quickly. She turned and shot the captain a thumbs-up. “All systems nominal, sir. We’re clear to begin the operation.”
“Spectacular!” said the captain. He stomped his foot and pointed forward at the fog wall. “Begin operation Prismatic Pierce!”
“Beginning operation Prismatic Pierce!” repeated Jedda. “Ballistae one to four, fire!”
THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK
All four of the ship’s great ballistae fired their payload across the waves. They weren’t firing normal bolts, however. They were firing giant grappling hooks tied to braided ropes as thick as a tree trunk. The captain called them “shot binders” and said they were a little holdover from his days as a privateer. The plan? Reel The Klazmitz in like a fish! “Why would you want to catch The Klazmitz?” you might be wondering. Well, I have an answer for that, as I asked the captain the very same thing. The idea was to secure the two ships together side by side. A wider boat was less likely to capsize, and capsizing was a very real possibility when braving a whirlpool.
The shot binders sailed through the air, their ropes trailing behind them as they went.
CREAK
The ship jolted to the left and tilted in the same direction as the ropes went taut. The hooks had landed!
“Begin phase two!” ordered the captain as he righted himself in his slanted chair.
“Commencing phase two! Doctor Heize, if you will!” said Jedda.
I had to see this for myself. I half-ran, half-slid across the bridge and pressed against the window. Heize was standing on the deck below with one hand held up to the sky. In the other was a fat chunk of crystal that glowed with fearsome yellow light. He threw his head back and shouted something to the wind as he did a series of cool dynamic poses. He finished his invocation, then dropped the crystal and raised both hands to the sky. What followed was absolutely stunning.
There was a flash of yellow brighter than any lighting could hope to produce. If you’d told me that every shadow in Loros’ Light had been obliterated at that moment, I’d have believed you. The light disappeared as quickly as I’d come, and in its place were a pair of gigantic glowing arms floating above the ship. The arms reached down and grabbed hold of the shot binder’s ropes, two in each hand, and pulled The Klazmitz in fist over fist. I’d never seen anything like it! As The Klazmitz slid across the waves, the tension on the shot binders lessened, and The Escallion leveled back out.
“How did he do that?” I asked the captain, my eyes wide with awe.
“Heh, Heize has been charging that rock every day since The Luxen went under. Said he wanted a ‘contingency plan’ in the event that things go sour. Took a real bit of work convincing him to bust it out! Gya ha ha!” cackled the captain. I looked back down at the deck and saw Heize fall to his knees, then roll over and curl up into a dejected ball. Was he tired or lamenting the use of his crystal?
“The target is in range, sir!” said Ufie. She was standing next to me peering through her telescope. “They seem to be in a state of disarray!”
“Hah! Bet they weren’t expecting us to strike first! Begin Phase three! Turn them into a pincushion!” said the captain with a wave of his arm.
“Commence phase three! All portside ballistae, fire at will!” said Jedda.
Volley after volley of ballistae bolts, normal size ones, not huge ones like the deck ballistae, fired from the side of the ship. They pierced the Klazmitz as it was dragged in and soon fired their own smaller shot binders. The huge glowing arms made one last mighty tug before dissipating into a cloud of shimmering yellow sparkles.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Port side wings, raise and retract!” ordered the captain. “Make it quick!”
“Commence sail formation P-R-R-2,” said Jedda. “All hands brace for impact!” The ship’s left side wings flattened against the side of the ship and rotated vertically like the masts on a normal ship. I scrambled from the window and grabbed hold of Sherri’s outstretched hand. We both grabbed onto Captain Kastel’s chair and braced for the coming shock.
CRASH
The Klazmitz slammed against The Escallion’s side. Sherri and I both fell to our knees as the floor shifted beneath us. There was shouting, screaming, and the crunching of wood. Over the howling of the wind, piercing through it like a pike through leather, were Priss’ shrill screams. I covered my mouth and laughed evilly as the thought of her losing her mind over being wrangled in flashed in my mind.
“Tie em down! Tell the boarding parties to get a move on! The fog wall aint about to wait for us!” said the captain.
“Commence phase four! All firing crews, secure The Klazmitz. Deck crew, fire auxiliary binders. Boarding parties one and two, launch assault. Huh? Say again?” asked Jedda. She listened to the garbled response, then turned in her chair. “Chief Olfrey reports that Priscillanna Afinsheer and her two men have boarded and are interfering with the deck crew, sir!”
“Hogtie them then! There’s no time to lollygag!” barked the captain. “Wait.” he rubbed his bearded chin and looked at me. “You wanna go down there and handle it?”
I thought it over for a quick second. The chance to show Priss up in combat a second time was enticing, but it’d be reckless to go out and battle in that storm. Imagine if I got injured! It’d throw everything out of whack going forward! I had a mythical dungeon palace thing to explore, and any slacking on my part would have to be made up for by the others. I shook my head. Being such a piece of dead weight would absolutely go against the Voker family rules.
“No, she’s not worth the danger,” I said finally.
The captain smiled approvingly, then said, “Wise choice. Jedda, have ballista team one fetch Heize!”
“Aye aye, sir!” responded Jedda. “Firing Chief Olfrey reports auxiliary binders two through fifteen, seventeen, and twenty have landed and been secured. Structural stability is nominal. Float coefficient is within acceptable parameters. Bearing is—,”
“Nominal!” chimed Ufie. “Target will appear in t-minus one minute!”
“We’re all green for breach, sir!” finished Jedda.
“Beautiful! Full speed ahead, we’re penetrating the fog wall!” shouted the captain. He stood up and crossed his arms. There was a joyous fervor in his eyes like he’d come to the apex of his existence. I could swear his hair and coat-cape were billowing despite there being no wind in the bridge.
The ship’s sails expanded to their full size. Both The Escallion and The Klazmitz rocketed forward at their maximum speed towards the churning cyclone of fog that lay before us. Searing bolts of lightning flashed rapidly overhead. The black clouds above unloaded their freezing payload onto the ships. The seas themselves writhed with belligerent fury. It was like Hava and Seren both were doing their best to ward us off.
“The whirlpool is on the other side of that fog?” asked Sherri as she jostled side to side.
“That it is! Ready your eyes girls, you’re about to see the most beautiful thing to every grace your gaze! Gya ha ha ha!”
The ship darted into the cyclone like an arrow. I covered my ears and crouched down. The roar of the wind was deafening, like some titanic monstrosity was screeching all around me. I grit my teeth and looked out through the window. It was nothing but a wall of flat grey with the occasional wisp of white. The ship rocked side to side heavily, then crested over a high wave and slammed down into the valley below. Nard was as serene as always. She spun the steering wheel to the left, then to the right, then held it in place. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she turned out to be some kind of golem.
“Jedda, give me a status report on THAT,” said the captain.
“Chief Olfrey reports all green. We’re are primed and ready for launch,” she said.
“Good. Now, since we’ve got just a minute here, are you three ready to depart?”
“I’ve got all my things,” said Sherri. She tapped her fingers against her quiver and smiled.
“I’m prepared as well,” said Jedda. She pointed to a supply-filled travel pack she’d tossed under her desk.
“Yeah, I’m set,” I said. I patted the side of my satchel.
I’d spent a good chunk of the previous night figuring out what to bring, and in the end, I decided to pack light. Some sea-sickness medication, a roll of bandages, a few seaman’s biscuits, and a waterskin. Dungeon-delving stuff. A few DVAS members had come by offering some things they thought would help, but most of it was useless. What did they expect me to do with their lucky dice, a weighted kino, or a tiny hand mirror? Either way, I took all that junk and shoved it to the bottom. Maybe their goodwill could ward off some misfortune.
WOOSH
The wall of fog gave way to a glowing white light. I covered my eyes and looked away, then hazarded a peek as my sight adjusted. We were in the eye of the storm. All around us was a twisting wall of fog that reached up to the sky. Hanging directly above was the glow of the midday sun. There was no rain, no raging wind, no storm clouds. Then I saw it. There, floating above the center of a humungous, rushing vortex, was a mass of pulsing white stone with colossal chunks of aquamarine gemstone jutting from every angle. Hanging below the stone mass was a massive structure the color of seafoam that spiraled as it descended like a seashell. Its pointed tip ended just barely above the whirlpool’s nexus, and a bright blue beam of pulsing light was firing from it down into the water. I could see a multitude of smaller structures, spiraling towers with long spires underneath, hanging around it. They were connected by means of flying bridges and flying staircases, none of which looked to have rails. The whole thing was rotating at a steady pace, and as it spun the sunlight diffused from its aquamarine outcroppings and refracted in every direction.
“And there she is! Behold girls, Sare Valtameri, The Prism Palace herself!” said the captain. He wiped his eyes. “To think I’d see her a second time . . .”
“It’s— beautiful. . .” said Sherri.
I could only nod in agreement. I’d expected something fancy, but never a sight so grand.
And then it disappeared from view. The ship slanted downwards as we fell over the lip of the whirlpool. Nard spun the wheel all the way to the right and righted our course. The ship slanted to the left again, but not as heavily as when we’d hooked The Klazmitz. We were on the whirlpool’s outermost edge and riding its current, always turning to the left as we went. I tore my gaze away from the window. The constant movement of the whirlpool was making me dizzy even through my medicinal defenses.
“Jedda, status report! Are we stable?” asked Captain Kastel.
“Aye Aye, sir. Priscillanna Afinsheer and two men named Tuet and Clance have been cornered by the deck crew. Boarding party one reports five injuries, party two reports seven. The captain of The Klazmitz has issued a surrender and is currently in custody,” she said quickly.
“What a load of pushovers . . .” I said.
“Aye, that’s what happens when you’re only sailing for a wage. No grit in any of the suckers,” spat the captain. “Have Heize treat the boarders as soon as he’s able.” He turned to Ufie. “How long until we reach the T-point?”
“Exactly two minutes, sir!” she said with a salute.
“Wonderful! Alright away team, let’s head down. Ufie, you’re in charge in my absence! Don’t cause too much of a ruckus while I’m gone!”
“I’d never dream of it, sir!” said Ufie with a second salute. “Good luck on your mission!”
Jedda stood up and gave her a playful punch on the shoulder. “Don’t run the crew too ragged, we’ve got a return trip to make after this,” she said.
“Hah, and don’t you go collapsing the palace with those gorilla fists of yours!” said Ufie.
The captain walked over to his sword’s wall mount and said, “So it’s finally time once again . . .” He stared at it silently for a moment, then grabbed it. “Let’s get a move on. The Prism Palace awaits.” He saluted Ufie, then Nard, then marched out of the bridge with purpose. Jedda followed after him, her travel pack slug over her shoulders.
Ufie ran over and grabbed Sherri and me both in a big hug. She shook us side to side and said, “You two be careful! You’ve got a whole boatload of fans that’ll be waiting for your triumphant return! Hehe!” She laughed at her joke and released us, then saluted.
I saluted back. “I promise to return in even better condition than I’m leaving in, acting captain Ufie!” I said.
Sherri saluted too. “I’ll make sure we return in, um— ship-shape!” she said. The joke was so dumb that I couldn’t help but giggle at it. Sherri blushed and looked at the ground.
“Are you two coming? The palace isn’t gonna wait much longer!” came the captain’s voice from just outside the bridge.
“Yeah, we’ll be right there!” I said over my shoulder. “I’ll see you later Ufie. Tell the DVAS guys I’ll bring them back something nice.”
“And tell SHIC that I’ll let them look at my loot! Maybe. If they ask nicely.” said Sherri with a glance to the side.
“Got it, now get going. That’s an order,” said Ufie with a point to the door.
We both nodded and left the bridge. It was such an odd feeling knowing I’d have somewhere to return to after our excursion to the Prism Palace. It’d only been two weeks, but I was already beginning to think of The Escallion as something of a home. Somewhere I was welcome and had people that wanted me around. I knew it was temporary, horribly temporary, but I was going to savor that feeling as long as I could.