Chapter 4

Of all the circumstances where he could have ended up, being held captive on a pirate ship was one of the last choices on Sannan’s mind. Slowly opening his eyes groggily, Sannan squinted at the dim light trickling into the musty room where he was being held. Well, not so much a room as it was a tight box no larger than the old cabinet Sastal used to keep back home. Pain continued to radiate through Sannan’s right arm, and his shoulder throbbed. To his surprise however, that shoulder was bandaged, and the wound was healing.

Sannan was suddenly made aware of the sound of boots thumping on planks outside, as well as the muffled sounds of pirates talking. It is a wonder I am not dead yet. Maybe Arakh got away safely… Maybe he might consider coming back for me. As the hours went by, Sannan began dreading the thought that he might never leave this cramped space. But then why did they go through the trouble of addressing the wound?

The top of the crate was abruptly flung open, leaving Sannan momentarily blinded by the light of a noonday sun, a ball of flaming gold against a cloudless sky. Shielding his eyes from the glare, Sannan took some time to readjust before coming face to face with the Sarhidian pirate captain. Up close, he was strikingly handsome despite the deep creases around his eyes. His black hair was done up in a ponytail gathered at the nape of his neck, and he wore that incongruous justaucorps coat that Sannan would never expect from a Sarhidian. Around his neck was a necklace outfitted with shark teeth, and a few more decorated the bangles on his wrists. With a calloused hand, the pirate captain grasped Sannan’s chin and held him up for inspection.

“That’s the one I was telling you about,” spoke a familiar voice.

It was Rahlif, white faced and huddled near the stern of the ship. Several bruises marred his face, and his hands were bound behind him. Sparing a brief glance for Rahlif, the pirate captain then turned his attention back to Sannan before pulling the Lumix core out from under his coat.

“Is this yours?” The pirate’s cool voice was very much like Arakh’s, though deeper. Sannan did not quite know what to say. His tongue felt frozen in that instant.

“Y-Yes, it was given to me by a friend.”

“And I see this belongs to you as well.” The captain gestured to the cannon resting by the port side of the ship, being inspected by the same girl Sannan swore was the one who fired the electric arrow. After a nod from Sannan, the pirate captain burst out laughing.

“You have got some talent, engineering a weapon like that. And the shark decor!” He placed the Lumix core back under his coat and took out the one shell Sannan did not get a chance to fire.

“Excellent taste! I think I will keep you on board for a while. Never expected a young engineer like you to be stowed away on some smuggler’s ship.” Rahlif cringed in fear as the pirate captain directed a grimace towards him. On the other hand, Sannan could not believe what he was hearing. Sailing with pirates? He knew his father and grandmother would be shocked beyond belief at the notion.

The words just came pouring out of Sannan’s mouth. “Keep the cannon and the Lumix core! Just spare Khanrea. I’m begging you, if you could just drop me off at the High City, I will be forever grateful!” Upon hearing mention of the High City, the captain’s left eyebrow rose inquisitively.

“A very delicate balance exists between the High City and the three pirate lords. If a ship bearing Erbosa’s symbol is seen anywhere near that city…” The pirate captain fingered a shark tooth as he contemplated.

Rahlif sputtered, “so that’s her name? Burn me, are you two best friends or something?” He immediately appeared to regret those words as a pair of nearby pirates drew in closer to him, each one being almost twice his height.

Ignoring the smuggler, the captain said, “I will consider getting you there somehow, but I must first ask something of you in return. I am pursuing a certain pirate, you see. Let’s just say Erbosa would not appreciate it if I were to take any detours. So what do you say? Join my crew, and you could maybe learn a thing or two from our resident engineer.”

Right then the girl turned her attention to Sannan, and on inspection he would almost guess she was the captain’s daughter. She bore that distinctive sharp nose like that of the captain, and those hazel colored eyes were reminiscent of his as well. That was where the differences ended, though. Slim, with a belt of brass clasped around her waist and a simple tunic, she did not stand out as much as the captain. If you were to ignore her shoulder length lavender colored hair, decorated with a hairpin made up of multicolored feathers. When his eyes met hers, the girl smiled apologetically. All the while, Sannan was so dumbfounded by what the captain was saying that he almost forgot about his throbbing shoulder.

In response to the captain, Sannan mumbled, “t-that’s fine. I’ll stay with your crew as long as I need to.”

Eyes narrowing, Rahlif looked like he was about to say something but stopped after glancing at the nearby pirates.

“Excellent!” The pirate captain clasped his hands together in a rattle of bracelets. “The name’s Olberan, by the way. Third captain of the Fleet of the Iron Serpent. You might have heard the name before.” As Sannan climbed out of the crate and stood facing the captain, his legs felt like they would give out at any moment. Before he could open his mouth to introduce himself, Olberan cut him off.

“The smuggler already told me who you were. Just so we are clear, Rahlif here is the only hostage we have here on this ship. My crew takes in people with useful talents, see. I am having Hallmas scrub the lower decks right now, but I am hoping to shape him into a fine combatant for the Iron Serpent Fleet someday.”

Reaching into his coat yet again, Olberan took out a pack of rations and handed it over to the starving boy. Just how much storage did that coat provide? Sannan did wince when he saw the pack containing those same, salty biscuits Rahlif had been force feeding him, though at least there was also a loaf of bread and some goat cheese. Without thought, Sannan wolfed down the contents of the pack, pausing to ask intermittent questions.

“Arakh?”

Olberan smirked. “That mercenary did take the lives of some of my crew. Good men. I can’t let that go unpunished, now can I? You almost did, too. And if you had succeeded, we would not be having the same conversation right now.”

He just left it at that, before strolling away to speak with the helmsman. A strange feeling, to be acquainted with the man who might have killed Arakh. Then again, Sannan thought to himself, how well did I really know him? Still, it was a chilling thought. Given the scorching weather, most of the pirates wore comfortable clothes, with brown waistcoats for the men and blouses adorned with sashes for the women. Majority of the crew looked to be Sarhidian, though there were a handful who were not. In all likelihood, many from that lot hailed from different crews before Captain Olberan snatched them up.

“My old man does like to come off as more threatening than he actually is.”

Sannan turned to see the lavender haired girl approaching him. Without warning, she reached into his sack and took out the leftover biscuits. A strong gust of wind blew her hair off to one side, and she positioned her hand on her head to keep the hairpin in place. With the other, she shoved the biscuits into her mouth.

“If you’re not having these, I will.” Her eyes momentarily crackled with a faint, purplish hue.

“Sorry if that right shoulder continues to sting,” the girl replied through a mouthful of food. She held out her hand for a shake.

“Zari. Nice to meet you, Sannan. I’ll be nice to you for a month, as recompense for that shoulder injury. Deal?” She spoke with a coarse Sarhidian accent completely contrary to how Emra sounded. Emra? Somehow Sannan was making the comparison without thinking. Gods, what I would give if Emra was somehow a passenger of this ship!

“Sure…Zari.” Although Sannan was feeling more replenished, he opted to lean head towards the ship interior in hopes of finding a place to sit. For a Sarhidian lancer, the inner space was more spacious than Sannan had imagined. As he was searching, however, his breath caught when he saw what was at the back of the ship. A pair of massive engine modules, seven-by-eight feet in diameter, were embedded in the metal panel that took up the vessel’s rear end. What truly caught Sannan’s attention were the Lumix cores embedded in both modules. No wonder the lancer was so maneuverable!

Kneeling next to one of the modules was a Valean who appeared to be running some sort of inspection. At least, the tall woman matched all descriptions of Valeans that Sannan had heard throughout his lifetime. Dark blue eyes, with golden yellow hair that hung down to her waist distinguished her from most other people he had seen back home. Sadly, the great nation of Valar was too far from Kesaya for Port Besaar to receive many visitors. When she turned to fix Sannan with a blank stare, he noticed her overalls and cotton shirt were mottled with soot.

Sannan smiled back at her. “Could I inspect those modules myself sometime?”

The woman nodded before returning to work.

Zari was back at Sannan’s side. “Azala has always been like that, even towards my old man. At this point I’m not even sure one of the pirate lords would make her flinch.”

Staring at the mechanical contraptions, with their glowing veins coursing through them, just reminded him of something.

“Where is Khanrea?” Sannan inquired. “He…It means a lot to me.”

Zari playfully nudged him in the ribs. “Sentimental for one of those constructs I see. He’s being kept in storage for the time being. You know, Azala has worked with those before.”

Sannan’s gaze immediately returned to the Valean woman, still inspecting the module framework and occasionally adjusting the flow of the veins. So this must be the resident engineer Olberan mentioned. Why did he need to go to the High City, when this woman could reveal some of their secrets to him right here? Then again, what is the extent of Azala’s knowledge on Lumix cores? He was so tempted to let loose a torrent of questions, but he did not want her to see him as a nuisance for fear she would not teach him.

Instead Sannan asked, “where could I find storage?”

…

Sannan could hardly call the place a storage room, given how cramped the space was, but it was still sufficient to house the automaton. Worn out cutlasses and dusty crossbows lined the sides of the room, alongside a few keepsakes Captain Olberan must have stolen. On one shelf was a gilded box etched with quetzals in flight, another a carved painting depicting Lumen Knights locked in battle against some unidentifiable monsters, all seemingly forgotten.

Cradling his creation’s metal arm with both of his, Sannan whispered, “I have found someone who might be able to bring you to life. Is that not exciting, Khanrea?”

Not expecting a response, Sannan hoisted the automaton out of the room and laid it against the side of the hall, next to the door of the captain’s cabin. For the next few minutes he sat next to the construct, daydreaming of the day when they could explore the world of Etheria side by side. Minutes seemed to stretch on for hours before Hallmas came rushing down the hallway to meet him. He appeared to be mostly unscathed from the pirate raid, though Sannan could not say the same from a mental standpoint. The former first mate’s eyes darted from side to side constantly like some prey animal that knows it is being stalked.

Hallmas cleared his throat before announcing, “we will be touching down at the island of Jar’haava soon.”

Sannan scratched his head in confusion. “On what occasion? I thought Captain Olberan mentioned he was pursuing some pirate.”

Truth be told, Jar’haava was a place Sannan was not looking forward to visiting. Kesani townsfolk frequently shared stories concerning the island, being a pirate haven that had once been the site of numerous turf wars. It was effectively lawless territory, and any visitor could find themselves kidnapped if they were not wary of their surroundings.

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“There could be a dozen reasons why that man would want to touch down on that island,” Hallmas replied. “Anyways, you had better get ready for landfall.” Even as Hallmas was speaking, Sannan could hear orders being barked in the distance.

A cabin boy, sweat soaked and panting, came scurrying down the hallway, no doubt running some errand. Sannan nodded in understanding, though he was uncertain whether any member of Olberan’s crew would look out for him down there.

Before turning to leave, Hallmas added, “by the way, the captain is not trusting you with that cannon launcher at the moment. You will have to make do with this for now.” Gilded and embroidered with gold trim, the miniature crossbow that was dropped onto Sannan’s lap seemed too generous of a weapon to be entrusted to a new crewmate. Upon further inspection it looked to be one of the newer models he had heard were being developed in Alorria. Although the bolts were smaller, they can be reloaded almost twice as fast as the standard model. It was also lightweight enough to be stored on the side of his belt with no problem.

“Thanks, Hallmas.”

The fellow Kesani gave a brief nod of the head before disappearing down the corner of the hallway. Sannan did feel a tinge of disappointment at not being allowed his cannon, but that gave further incentive to win over Captain Olberan’s trust. After stowing Khanrea back into the storage room, Sannan made his way to the sleeping quarters he shared with another of Rahlif’s former crew. That was the extent of which he knew his roommate, who was not present at the moment. Plain and furnished with a pair of rugs and pillows that functioned as beds, the room was quite a depressing sight. The flickering lamp light hanging from the ceiling barely managed to illuminate the place. A single cracked washstand stood in one corner, where Sannan’s new clothes were contained. It was then that he was hit with the realization that he had not changed since stepping on board Rahlif’s vessel.

Within moments, Sannan was back on deck at the bow of the ship, newly changed into a rumpled, linen shirt that felt a little too small for him. Captain Olberan was standing at the bow of the ship, looking out towards the massive island ahead. Dozens of other vessels crowded around the island in almost as many varieties as there were ships. Several looked to be modified Induran merchant galleons that had been outfitted with a deadly weapon arsenal along with sharp, angular sails that prioritized speed. A few metallic vessels caught Sannan’s attention, bringing to mind the iron wrought ships from the High City except much smaller. Cylindrical in their construction, they were like enlarged versions of his cannon launcher shells, speeding through the water with only their top halves exposed.

Nestled at the heart of the Kinabala archipelago, Jar’haava supported a pirate city whose size nearly rivaled that of the Port Besaar itself. Vestiges of old ships were remade into towering strongholds capable of housing hundreds of pirates at a time. One hull in particular dwarfed all the others, jutting out of the island like a Great White’s head rearing out of the ocean. Colossal strips of wood bordered the sides of the structure to provide support, and from a distance resembled a giant rib cage. Dense clusters of taverns and wooden bunkers surrounded it, layers built upon layers and all connected by a network of rope ladders and bridges.

“Tarod’s Keep,” Olberan announced with a smile. “I know it must be a surprise to you, Sannan, seeing it for the first time. From Kesaya to the Sand Kingdoms, many nations have attempted to take this stronghold, but you can only guess as to how that has turned out for all of them.”

It was as if Sannan’s knees gained sentience as they almost buckled out from under him, but he willed himself to stand. This world of pirates he had just stepped into… it could not have just been a smooth ride from Port Besaar to the High City. He had no intention of dying in a city like that before even seeing Osveta’s technology with his own eyes. Rahlif soon joined Olberan and Sannan at the bow, prodded forward by an olive skinned woman with a wild tangle of hair just barely contained beneath her headband. She wore a leather vest over a white blouse adorned with lace around the sleeves, as well as black breeches tucked into knee length boots.

“Ah, Estaval. Glad you could join us.” The captain beckoned her closer. “Jar’haava is a fine place to lose our young engineer, so perhaps you could babysit him for a while.”

Estaval frowned, her icy blue eyes fixed on Sannan. “Sure,” she said after some visible hesitation. “He’s a bit too young, captain. If doubt Azala will be eager to spend hours of her precious time enlightening him.” Estaval spoke the word “precious” with disgust.

The vessel sped towards the island harbor, eventually dropping anchor and lodging itself between two larger warships. All along the docks were pirates hailing from almost every nation in Etheria, and it was a wonder there was no constant infighting between crews. Several formed small circles where the traffic was not too congested to play cards or dice. Sannan was able to spot numerous elementals within the crowd, all blending in as if they were ordinary pirates.

Olberan and Estaval were still speaking as they made their way down the gangplank and onto the rickety docks, Estaval prodding Rahlif onwards nonchalantly. The smuggler, bound and gagged with sunken eyes, hustled forth with reluctance.

“I feel it’s about time we ditch Azala and find a new engineer, and I am not referring to Sannan here,” Estaval was saying. “She has always been difficult to work with since the day we brought her in.”

Olberan replied, “Nonsense. Other captains like to run their crews with fear, but I say we accommodate her better. Maybe she still needs more time to adjust to our way of life.”

Am I going to have to as well? The honorable Olberan might not be true to his word. After all, Sannan could not reason why he would take the trouble to detour to the High City for his sake. Yes, a permanent life as a pirate was all he had to look forward to. It was then where Sannan considered planning how he was to get out of this situation. His goal of touching down at the High City was in the hands of a smuggler, and now a pirate.

Without warning, Sannan nearly bumped into a broad shouldered pirate with a tattoo of a snake encircling his right eye and a nose that appeared to have been broken several times. Sannan was well built from years of hauling fish, but even he paled in physique in the face of the man who stood before him. The pirate stared down at Sannan with bloodshot eyes, then grunted an oath before shoving him aside. Even the prospect of getting into an altercation filled Sannan with dread; Olberan had all the more reason to keep an eye on him.

Humid, tropical air caused sweat to bead down Sannan’s face. Somehow it felt warmer than Port Besaar, as hard as that was to imagine. Worse, the place reeked of sweat, grime, and rotting fish all thrown together into a pot and left to fester in the sun.

A familiar voice called, “dummy, you’re going to get left behind if you don’t keep up!” The top of Zari’s head was sticking out over the shoulder of a flustered, round pirate who was arguing with his superior. That lavender stood out even in a place like this, with all the elementals walking about. Sannan hurriedly made his way towards her, weaving through the crowd as he went.

It was a few minutes walk to a seaside tavern, where most of Olberan’s crew entered. Several massive palm trees surrounded the thatched roof building, with hammocks strung out between some of them for guests to relax. Raucous laughter and loud banging could be heard from within.

Zari stopped outside the entrance and explained with crossed arms, “turns out Estaval could not be bothered with you, so I am going to have to make sure you don’t end up angering some drunk oaf while we’re here.” Inwardly, Sannan felt his escape options dwindling.

He tried masking his dismay behind a smile. “That won’t be an issue, my lady.”

“Oh really?” Zari replied, arching an eyebrow. “Even though most pirates – including all three pirate lords – acknowledge this territory is neutral ground, some idiots still designate arbitrary boundaries all around the island. Street brawls and skirmishes break out more often than not.” For an instant, her eyes flashed a bright yellow color before returning to normal.

“Now, I can handle a few goons, but you?”

Sannan retorted, “Well, I always intended for Khanrea to serve as my protection.” He smirked before going on, “and I have plenty of ideas for gadgets I could make use of to defend myself. I just need to get my hands on certain materials, and believe me, it’s a long list.”

Zari shook her head in reply. “That’s great and all, but I insist you learn to hold your own in a fight. You never know when you will end up in a situation where you can only rely on yourself.” Easy for her to say, as an elemental and daughter of a notorious pirate. The most he had in terms of fighting experience were those rare instances of having to defend himself from street urchins while running errands back home.

“So,” Zari said as she opened the tavern door, “let’s see what everyone is up to in there.”

Sannan was greeted with a chaotic bar room packed to the brim with pirates. The odor of aged rum and Sarhidian baskat permeated the air, mixing with several other scents. A few Kesani pirates hailing from the islands south of the Kinabala archipelago wore tiny perfume boxes fastened to their necklaces, from which they would occasionally inhale. Orange sunlight peeked through the tavern shutters, barely illuminating the poorly lit booths in the far back. Captains, caraseers, and swashbucklers intermingled with gangsters and mercenaries from the nations bordering the Thalassian Sea. Many clustered around the round tables to watch a card game known in Kesaya as Arcanum Duels, the players locked in deep concentration. Hallmas was sitting at the bar conversing with Azar while indulging himself with a bottle of rum. When he saw Sannan and Zari approach, Hallmas motioned towards a door to the back of the room.

“The captain is in there meeting with some friend,” Hallmas said between sips of rum. “Rahlif is in there too, though I imagine he’s not having a great time right now.” A loud, pounding noise was heard from behind the door, like the sound of a carpenter hammering on wood. The rabble in the bar room was nearly enough to drown it out, however.

Looking towards the door warily and then back to Hallmas, Sannan said, “I’m willing to bet not just anyone can enter that room.”

“Oh I get special privileges, and you’re coming in there with me.” Zari motioned Sannan towards the door. As Sannan made his way towards the door, squeezing past a pair of mercenaries along the way, something in the corner caught his eye. Under the dim light of a wall hanging, Azala was seated at a booth across from a figure hidden by shadow. On the table was a satchel and a pair of Lumix cores, though the cores glowed fainter than any Sannan had ever seen. Although the temptation to investigate was strong, he told himself he would try questioning the engineer later. One of Olberan’s crew was guarding the door, a hard-faced man standing so still that Sannan only just noticed him. He merely nodded in assent as Zari entered the room with her guest.

It was said before Jar’haava was ruled by pirates, it was considered the territory of the Zaran Kaj, back when the Sand Kingdoms were united under one banner. Now the prized agate carvings of the Zaran were the only remnants left over from that era. Zaran artisans were masters of their craft; sculptures resembling all sorts of desert animals decorated the shelves lining the walls, coated in a filmy substance that provided immense durability. Besides the shelves, the room accommodated a single table and three chairs, all intricately carved with leaf-like designs and inlaid with mother of pearl. Captain Olberan occupied one of the chairs, crossing his legs and watching as another pirate captain slammed his fist into Rahlif’s gut.

“Who is your supplier, smuggler? I don’t want to have to repeat myself again.” The other captain’s voice grated like sandpaper, coming from a man who was just as tall as Olberan but almost twice as wide. He wore a coat draped behind his shoulders like a cape, but was shirtless otherwise. A massive scabbard hung on his back, accented in blood red tones that matched the designs running along his gauntlets. His hat was of a strange design, with a crown of gaudy feathers at the back bringing to mind an exotic bird. Just as exotic was the strange creature perched on the captain’s shoulder, resembling some cross between a lizard and a parrot, squawking intermittently as Rahlif was being beaten.

“I cannot tell,” the smuggler heaved and tried to catch his breath. “He’ll kill me if I do.” He was kneeling on the floor with his hands tied behind his back, sweat dripping from his face. As the man who promised him a trip to the High City, Sannan could not help but pity him.

Olberan interjected before the other captain could speak, “I have heard that excuse enough times already. Besides, no matter how dangerous this supplier of yours is, I can grant you protection under Erbosa’s name.”

All eyes turned to the two newcomers, and Zari for her part glared at her father.

“You are meeting up with Sarvaq again? Are you forgetting what happened the last time we got involved in his business?”

Sarvaq returned her a broad smile that nearly split his face. “Perhaps you could take a wild guess, young one,” he said heartily as he casually held out a handful of seeds for his pet to greedily devour.

Zari frowned at her father, “you don’t… owe him anything, do you?” Even though Zari was around his age, here she was conversing with big time pirates as if status did not mean anything to her. If it were not for her ties to her father’s crew, Sannan would have sought her out as a confidante.

“Information,” Sarvaq was saying. He took out one of the carved chairs and sat down, clasping his hands together.

“Information is a commodity oftentimes more valuable than treasure itself. I have an idea on where your dad here might net himself the Sea Snake.”

Zari tapped a finger to her lips in thought. “I still cannot believe those rumors circulating around him. Nobody can just return from the dead.”

Sarvaq just chose to ignore her for the time being. “So this is the runt you picked out for your crew, Olberan. The runt you said was in possession of that custom built cannon.” Sarvaq’s parrot-lizard crawled over to Sannan and began inspecting him with its slit shaped eyes. The curve of its beaked mouth gave the impression it was constantly scowling.

“It appears Gonspiet has taken a liking to you,” Sarvaq said. “Though given your hobby, I am sure that won’t last. Nothing pleases him more than dismantling objects.” The parrot-lizard gave a loud squawk before returning to his owner’s side.

Sannan replied, “Good thing then that I’m not on your crew, haha.”

“Oh, you would not last two days! Anyways, I am sure you’re well aware of the value we pirates have for pearlseed. If you cannot stomach my interrogation methods, then I suggest you leave.” Sarvaq began replacing his leather backed gauntlets with metallic ones, flexing his fingers to ensure they were on tight.

Sannan was happy to comply, though it seemed Zari was not done discussing matters with her father. Once he was out of that room, his eyes immediately began scanning for any signs of Azala and her mysterious client. To his dismay, they were nowhere to be found. Thankfully, there were fewer patrons at the tavern, but a couple of Olberan’s crew members appeared to have left. The card games were still ongoing, though they were less lively than when he first entered. Sannan made his way out of the tavern, fingering his crossbow as he went. He could feel himself tensing up; a lone target wandering about a pirate city in the evening was an invitation for theft and worse. Palm trees and wooden shacks cast long shadows across the beach, and the waves were caressing the shoreline in a mesmerizing fashion. Staring at the waves, Sannan could almost forget he was on a pirate island. Almost. Although there were few of them up and about, Sannan kept his guard up and weighed his options. The safest course of action would be to return to Olberan’s ship. Then again, he desperately wanted to find Azala. With some hesitation, Sannan headed in the direction of the giant hull, looming in the distance under the light of a setting sun.