Chapter 5

“I thought I would find you here,” Sannan said as he approached his quarry under the cover of darkness. The streets surrounding Tarod’s Keep hardly passed for streets so much as they were hard packed dirt lanes established through years of heavy traffic. Nestled between an armorsmith’s store and a three story tavern was a collection of small booths where mercenaries and mechanics traded spare parts. Some offerings have rusted over to the point of being unusable, but every so often an engineer finds uses for what would otherwise pass as junk. Azala was inspecting a helix module next to a booth specializing in engine components. With a dark blue cloak wrapped around her, she was easy for passerby to overlook, but not for Sannan.

The woman never took her eyes from the module. “Bold of you to seek me out in the streets of Jar’haava of all places,” Azala said as she twisted the upper half of the module. Seeing that it was too loose, she returned it to the booth display and took up another.

Sannan shrugged as he replied, “I was surprised, too. Given the reputation of pirates, I thought I would have gotten into a scuffle or two with the locals. Guess I was just lucky.”

Azala nodded to herself as she dropped the new helix module into a small satchel attached to her belt. She then turned to her fellow engineer and crossed her arms.

“I know you seek answers…Sannan was it? Yes, before the captain stowed away your automaton, I took the time to inspect it for myself. Impressive work, especially for someone your age.” The golden haired woman shook her head ruefully.

“Sadly, I regret to inform you might be wasting your time if you continue seeking out the High City, or more specifically the Aphelos Academy. The admissions process is highly selective.”

Sannan could already feel his heart pounding through his chest. Never before had he heard the names of the famed academies of Osveta, and to think this woman knew of one, let alone tried to apply.

Azala continued on, “How else do you think I ended up on Olberan’s crew? Thankfully, his ties to the Pirate Empress have helped me secure… valuable connections.” She reached into her satchel and showed Sannan one of the faint Lumix cores that he first saw at the tavern.

“I am free to build and test whatever I want. While the academy provides a vast library of resources, there are benefits to not always being under their scrutiny.”

Sannan swallowed nervously before speaking up, pointing to the faint core. “Do you think I can bring my automaton to life with one of those?”

“Of course, but it is missing a conduit, you see. A device that channels the power of raw ether in a form where it can be used safely in machines. Unfortunately, many of the best conduit models are only available in Osveta, and go on ludicrous prices in most markets.”

So this is the missing ingredient, Sannan thought to himself. A conduit to dampen the power of the Lumix core…

“Remember what I said about valuable connections, Sannan.” Azala was smiling mischievously now. “Whoever said we had to obtain a conduit through any legal means? If you could get some pirates to help you steal one, or maybe even steal one yourself, you would be one step closer to having your fully functioning automaton. Artifices, they call them in the High City.”

Stealing was unethical, as his grandmother always said. Once she had him working twice as many chores for stealing a Dynamo module that simply could never be found at Port Besaar’s local scrapyard. But for the sake of finalizing his project, he had no other choice.

“I’ll do it!”

Azala nodded to herself. “Then that’s settled. There are some other machine parts I would like to procure for my own projects. How about it? Get me those parts, and I will be willing to teach you everything I know. You don’t need to waste your time with the Aphelos Academy.”

Sannan laughed, “you know, the more you tell me to avoid this academy, the more I want to pay it a visit. Once I feel I have learned enough, I will be sure to send in an application. As for gathering those parts, consider it done my lady.”

Azala rolled her eyes, but shook hands with the young engineer.

“Would you like to see if any of these booth offerings interest you?” she asked. Sannan's stomach growled.

“I have not had anything to eat since the crew arrived at Jar’haava. Perhaps we should meet back up with the captain.”

…

As it turned out, Azala knew the safest route out of Jar’haava’s central hub. On the way back to Captain Olberan’s ship, which Sannan was told was named Tanzeel’s Spear, the two of them wove past the rowdiest taverns and the most contested areas of the city. Ramshackle wooden structures loomed over their heads, with the upper levels connected by flimsy bridges. On one occasion, Sannan worried for a drunken pirate who was lying with his whole upper body dangling off the edge of one such bridge. Slat ribbed dogs fought over discarded meat in the alleyways, and giant cockroaches did not bother crawling away as Sannan and Azala passed through. The discordant sounds of music and laughter drifted from nearby pubs, accompanied by the smell of rum.

Sannan was very much relieved upon leaving the outskirts of Jar’haava, though Azala still kept a firm grip on her satchel as if they still might be ambushed at any moment. The full moon cast a silvery light down onto the pair, illuminating their silhouettes as they made their way across an old wooden walkway snaking across the coastline. All around the beach bordering Jar’haava’s docks, bands of pirates had set up cookfires upon which roasted a variety of tasty offerings. Zari and Estaval were at one of the cookfires, with Zari turning a roasted boar on a spit. Estaval gave Azala a cold stare as the two of them approached the cookfire to take up spots on the brightly colored blankets that were laid out on the sand.

“It was brave of you to sneak into the city by yourself, Sannan,” Zari said nonchalantly, “but then again, I have snuck away under my dad’s nose more times than I could count. Who am I to judge?” She skewered a slice of boar meat as she spoke and handed it over to Sannan.

Without a second thought, he bit into the juicy meat and savored the delicious smell that wafted into his nose.

Sannan spoke cheerfully between mouthfuls, “there’s going to be more sneaking about, Zari, and I’m offering you to come with me. Azala here wants some machine parts, and I promised I would fulfill her wish.”

Zari’s eyes darkened. “Unfortunately, we don’t have time for that right now. My father is dead set on hunting down the Sea Snake, and we’ve just gotten word of where we might find him. He is not letting me out of his sights until that bastard is dead.”

In spite of the delicious meat cooking on the fire, Azala was content to sit in silence as she observed Zari, who was shaking her head ruefully.

“Honestly, I cannot understand my old man’s grudge against him. All I know is that it started when I was very young.”

Sannan inquired, “Sea Snake? He’s a pirate, isn’t he? Is Sea Snake supposed to be some moniker?”

Estaval took the opportunity to interject, and as she spoke of the Sea Snake, she seemed more tense than usual, impossible as that was. “A once trusted ally of the Pirate Empress, called the Sea Snake because of his trademark blade laced with poison. As Erbosa’s reputation grew, so did his ambition. Relations grew tense between the two, until that fateful day when Erbosa decided to put him down. He was thought to be dead for a long while until recently, when affiliates of Erbosa started turning up dead. Killed by the Sea Snake’s signature poison.”

All the while Zari watched Estaval, her eyes staring through her into the unknown, as if deep in thought.

“To this day, I have never been told his actual name. My dad refuses to tell me why he hates the Sea Snake as much as he does either. I’m sorry, Sannan. As much as I would not mind helping you retrieve those parts, I’m afraid my hands are tied right now.”

In the minutes that followed, everyone around the campfire sat in silent contemplation. A cold breeze blew past, almost succeeding in snuffing out the waning cookfire.

Finally, Sannan chose to speak up. “There is still a choice, Zari. Who is to say we succeed in finding the Sea Snake at this designated location? It’s fine, though. If you can’t help me, I can always find someone else.”

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Zari nodded, but remained sitting cross legged beside the fire, chin resting on one hand. Just as Sannan was getting up to leave, having finished his share of boar meat, Estaval said, “there is no need to worry. Most of us on this crew are seasoned professionals. The moment we run into the Sea Snake, consider him dead alongside any pirate foolish enough to follow him.”

That night, before Sannan retired back to his sleeping quarters, he ran through a list of people who might assist him in acquiring the machine parts. He knew Hallmas, yet Rahlif’s former first mate might be too spooked by Captain Olberan to consider committing to anything drastic. Then again, stealing is what pirates do best, and Sannan was free to approach any crew member the captain did not consider important enough to keep around him at all times. But what would any pirate gain from doing this? Sannan wracked his brain trying to think of something he could offer his would-be helper in return. A sliver of moonlight shone down through the window hole of his sleeping quarters, illuminating it well enough for him to make out his sleeping spot. The gentle sound of waves washing up against the hull of the ship was just the incentive for Sannan to cease any thoughts regarding the machine parts. Although he could only hear them, he felt as if the waves were rocking him to sleep.

…

Sannan awoke to a foul stench that made him pinch his nose on instinct. It only took a moment for him to realize the foulness radiated from his roommate, still sleeping with his back turned to him. To be fair, Sannan could not remember the last time he had a proper shower himself, but the man next to him was a whole different story. The former crewmate of Rahlif’s was in his smallclothes and snoring loudly while scratching his lower back intermittently. As Sannan left his room while trying to make as little noise as possible, he felt the boat swaying subtly, which only implied the crew was out at sea again. Stifling a yawn, Sannan made his way up above deck to take in the cool ocean wind. Despite never having sailed before, he was not all too bothered by the gentle swaying of the Sarhidian lancer as it was carried forth on its ribbed sails. Although it was just the second day without his cannon, Sannan almost felt naked without it. Gone were the days where he could test his devices at his leisure.

Instead, much of the day was spent seeking out someone on the ship to help him steal those machine parts. Sannan wanted to approach as many people as possible, but that would risk getting the attention of the captain himself. The last thing he wanted was to get punished for being a nuisance. Ultimately, Sannan chose to approach Azar, two lower ranking grunts, and Olberan’s sniper, a wiry man named Ammad. Azar and the two grunts all paled at the mention of helping him sneak off to steal the parts. Sannan himself would have been concerned about the repercussions of sneaking off if it were not for the fact he suggested it right in front of Estaval the other day. If Olberan’s first mate kept silent about it, then it could not be all bad.

Ammad barked a laugh upon hearing Sannan’s suggestion. It was impressive for a man of his build to be lugging a weapon on his back that was almost as tall as he was. A maskat, it was called, longer than a cannon and capable of firing further distances.

“The captain will skin me alive if I abandon the hunt for the Sea Snake now. I need to be there to provide support when the time comes.” The sniper poked a bony finger into Sannan’s shoulder.

“I tell you what though, with enough preparation, you will be more than ready to acquire all the parts yourself. Assuming we arrive anywhere those parts can be found, that is.”

So it was that Sannan had no option but to wait until the crew sailed to the Armudan Quadrant, where the Sea Snake was said to be last sighted. Just off the Induran coast, the Quadrant was home to sprawling reef formations and a greater variety of sea life than most other regions of the Thalassian Sea. Or so Sannan was told by his father once upon a time on their way back from the fishmonger.

Over the course of the three days it took to sail to the Quadrant, Sannan took the time to train his hand-to-hand combat skills with Hallmas. After all, Sannan wanted to be prepared in the situation when the crew does find itself fighting against the Sea Snake and his followers. He was by no means content on relying on his embroidered crossbow when it came to defense. As Sannan entered Hallmas’s cabin, it was clear to him that the former first mate was growing accustomed to life under Captain Olberan’s crew. The worry lines around his eyes were far less pronounced, and the man’s posture was noticeably more relaxed than before.

“Of course I can help you train, Sannan.” Hallmas said jovially. “Anything to help take my mind off scrubbing the deck.”

Over the next few hours, Hallmas drilled Sannan on all the basic fighting techniques; the cabin afforded them just enough room for him to showcase them all.

Hallmas explained, “more often than not, your bare fists are not going to mean much to any pirate sensible enough to have a weapon on hand at all times. As a crossbow user, you are better off taking them out from a distance. If they do manage to close the distance, however…”

In a few swift motions, Hallmas managed to disarm Sannan of the long belt knife he was loaned for the purpose of the demonstration.

“Ideally, you want to execute the maneuver in as few moves as possible. Twist their forearm, or apply pressure to this joint to force them to let go of the weapon.” Towards the end of the training session, Sannan felt he had a solid foundation when it came to fighting. He knew, however, that fighting smart and being able to predict what your opponent might do were just as valuable as raw physical strength alone. During the next training session, he urged Hallmas not to go easy on him. Although he risked actual injury being done to him, Sannan wanted to feel the consequences for his mistakes. Most pirates fought dirty, and he wanted to familiarize himself with whatever tricks they might pull on him in an actual battle. Sannan even contemplated asking the captain himself in case Hallmas left anything out.

By the time of dinner, Sannan was starting to regret having Hallmas push him so far. Zari was strolling down the hallway when she noticed him sitting by the storage room nursing a broken arm. A half eaten plate of fish stew sat to his left.

Planting her hands on her hips, Zari shook her head with a rueful smile. “What help would you be in a battle with a broken arm, Sannan?” Kneeling down next to him, she fetched a flask of elixir from her belt pouch and began applying it to the joint.

“This should help with the aching,” Zari explained. When Sannan tilted his head up to look her in the eyes, he realized she had doffed the tunic in favor of a white blouse and vest arrangement that left her shoulders exposed.

Sannan blushed. “If you don’t mind me prying, I’m quite sure that’s not the Sarhidian fashion. Well, from what I know of Sarhidians who visit Port Besaar anyways.”

“Oh, this?” Zari looked down at her outfit and laughed. “I suppose the clothing trends of Alorria are catching on with Thalassian Sea pirates. Estaval is quite fond of it as well.”

She took the time to sit down next to Sannan, and offered to finish his fish stew when he confirmed he was done with it. Zari stared wistfully up at the wooden ceiling as if she could glimpse the darkening sky through it.

“You know, Sannan, I’ve always wanted to visit Alorria. But given my pirate background, can I even freely explore without worrying about someone trying to claim my bounty? By nature of us being criminals, we pirates can do whatever we please out at sea. But if we try to venture inland…”

“I get it,” Sannan replied, placing his hands behind his head. “You did not choose to be a pirate, correct? It’s because your father is a pirate. But by that logic, I should not be striving to be an engineer but a fisherman. The choice to visit Alorria is always open to you, Zari.”

“Right.” Zari chuckled. “Perhaps we could travel to the city state one day, Sannan. You and I. I hear the quality of their seafood is near unparalleled compared to most other coastal cities. And their jewelry!”

She was now fingering her copper bracelet idly. “I have only seen the Pirate Empress in person once before, and the bracelets she had on hand, you must see for yourself to fully grasp the beauty. All of it originating from the city state of Alorria.”

Sannan asked, “what about the High City of Osveta? No matter what, that will always be the first city I would visit above all else.”

“The people there despise pirates more so than most. I have not heard much about the place, but from what little I do know, it would be one of the last places I choose to visit.”

Glancing over at Sannan’s dismayed expression, she let out a regretful sigh. “My apologies, I know how much you want to visit the High City. But from my perspective, it is not a place worth going.”

Following his encounter with the captain’s daughter, Sannan went back to his sleeping quarters, silently praying his roommate was not already inside. To his surprise, Azala was there staring out through the window hole at the vast expanse of moonlit sea. Somehow, she was aware of Sannan’s entrance without even needing to turn around to see him.

“There is a city along the Induran coast where we might find a good portion of the machine parts I require,” Azala said without preamble. “It is likely that the captain would choose to stop there, assuming we don’t run into the Sea Snake first.”

“Do you believe we will find a conduit there?” Sannan inquired.

“Perhaps, but I cannot guarantee anything.” The Valean beckoned him to join her at the window hole. It might have been his imagination, but Sannan could swear he saw what might have been the fluke of a whale off in the distance, though it was hard to tell in the darkness.

“Magnificent, isn’t it? If there is one thing I do not regret for being out at sea, it would be the nighttime ambiance.” Although only half illuminated by moonlight, Sannan could see she was smiling.

“Azala, have you um…built or seen a Kamera before?”

“Why, of course. Quite a simple device in its construction, more simple than you would think.” She turned to regard Sannan, pursing her lips in thought.

“I might very well teach you how to construct a basic model. The images would be of low quality, but we all have to start somewhere, right?”

It must have been fate for Sannan to meet such an engineer on a pirate’s ship, of all places. He was already starting to feel giddy at the prospect of all the skills Azala could teach him. Even after she left the room, Sannan continued to admire the view of the sea under the waxing moon. Before he knew it, Sannan fell asleep by the window hole, dreaming of all the projects he could accomplish with Azala’s help.