Chapter 53: Eastbound

Just as promised, the next day they left on the Duskbreaker for Congrosus, hundreds of miles to the northeast. It would take them over a week to get there, and then half as much time to get back, thanks to the crosswinds. Their rowers would put in double time on the way there, and then have time to relax.

Out of all of their missions so far, this was the longest they would be on a boat, and Adriana wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, she got to skip services for the duration of her travels. Spending the time leading up to the equinox working without the Hierophant breathing down her throat wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

On the other, it meant boredom and close proximity with Lucas and Davos, both of whom caused her a never-ending amount of pain, but for different reasons. On the surface, nothing had changed with either of them. Davos was still a charming clown, looking to relax. Lucas still pretended to be the stoic, vigilant leader everyone expected out of him. But there were cracks in each of their masks, and there was enough time that even Adriana could see through them.

Worse yet, both of them spent any time they weren’t in a group with their girlfriends. Adriana liked Cora well enough, but didn’t care for how the motherly woman acted like she knew everything. She made Davos happy, and that was enough.

Eva was…Time working had made some of the hatred towards the blond fade, but not disappear. She spent a lot of her time flying ahead and greeting other ships they sailed past, gathering news from all across the archipelago. Adriana could appreciate the gossip, at least.

It put her with Tobias and Iris a lot of the time, and while she liked them, it felt like being stuck with the children of the group. Tobias was only a couple years younger and basically a man, but Iris was very much a teen, and Adriana’s exasperated affection warred with her desire for quiet.

They were halfway through the trip when the frustration got to her. She threw the cards down on the table with a groan and cradled her head.

“Again,” said Tobias, smug. “You fall for it every time.”

“Blow it out your ass,” Adriana grumbled, standing. The galley was crowded this time of day, and fresh air sounded fantastic. “Beat him for me, Iris.”

The girl saluted and took Adriana’s spot. She scooped up the cards and shuffled them before dealing out another hand to the remaining players.

A skeleton crew swabbed the deck, while a small circle played music for two men dancing a jig together. The captain stood at the helm, sternly watching with neither approval nor reproach in his eyes. Lucas stood at the stern, watching Eva as she flew back from one of her many excursions. Adriana headed that way.

“What news?” Lucas asked. He briefly nodded to Adriana as she approached, but kept his attention on Eva. It had been like that whenever the three of them were together, as if he was afraid of his girlfriend finding out about the other night.

Eva landed on the railing and stood there, balancing easily. “The rumors are true. The entire village are stable beastmen. I talked to a small fisherman who traded with them recently. They’re all touched by Bestia, and their settlement’s spread.”

Adriana’s nose wrinkled. “And that’s where we’re going? I thought we were after a sighting of a Maw acolyte.”

“We are,” said Lucas. His brow furrowed as he digested the news. “If the beastmen are stable and are capable of running an island and expanding, then that means they’ve been in contact with the Maw, or one of her creatures. We’re going to go in, find the source of the Maw Divinity, and bring them back, dead or alive, to the island.”

Eva pursed her lips. “You know I’m not one to question orders,” she started.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Adriana scoffed but had the good grace to not call her an ass-kisser. Lucas’ eyes flickered over to her long enough to plead silently for her good behavior. “But?” he prompted.

“But if we’re going to be risking ourselves among a bunch of beastmen, shouldn’t there be more of us? Are we going to risk bringing some of the crew with us for defense?”

Adriana didn’t like that thought, and neither did Lucas. With his customary ‘I don’t like what I’m about to say’ grimace, he said, “We’re hoping to go in peacefully, with minimal force. We’ll ask our questions, find our target, bring them in, and do it without angering the locals. If…if something happens, I have orders to show as much force as it takes to get them to back down.”

“Most beastmen won’t be happy to see us,” Adriana pointed out. “Not if they’ve gone all the way.” She thought back of Snopos on Juthida. While the use of Bestia seemed profane to her, he’d been friendly enough. An entire village of people who had gone further, she had no idea what they could possibly be like.

“Then it’s a good thing we’re bringing you along, isn’t it?” Eva said with a small sneer. “If anyone tries anything, you’ll just blow them up. What better way to show those sympathetic to the Maw’s campaign of destruction and murder that there will be no mercy?”

It wasn’t the thought that made Adriana uncomfortable so much as Eva being the one to voice it. They may have hated each other, but Eva sounded serious enough to turn her stomach. Being praised for violence was wrong when the person doing the praising sounded like she was complimenting a war hound.

“That’s enough,” Lucas said quietly. “Dismissed.”

Eva opened her mouth, but no words came out. She looked like a fish out of water, but the surprise turned into anger. With one last nod, she flew off and headed back out. Soon she was just a spec in the distance, and then not even that.

“What do we know about this village?” Adriana asked, trying to ignore the slight twist in her stomach when she realized it was the first time they’d been alone since the kiss. She tried to not think about it, to focus on the mission instead, but it was like trying to ignore a fresh, stinging wound.

Lucas ran a hand through his auburn hair, a bit shaggier now than it had been. “Not as much as I would like. They’re not one of our tributary islands, and are between kingdoms. For years, they’ve mostly kept to themselves and done what they could with rough, shitty land. To be honest, we’ve mostly forgotten about them. They were humans back then, at least. Which is why this transformation is so concerning. This mission…we’re going further than we usually venture, we don’t have good information, and we’re supposed to investigate and excise Maw corruption. I don’t like it.”

“Then why accept it? Why us? This will put us in barely before the equinox. What if we get delayed?” Adriana didn’t like it either. She stared out into the reddening sky and sinking sun. It didn’t take being particularly smart to know something was up.

Lucas growled, and the uncharacteristic display of frustration startled her. “None of this makes sense. The Hierophant was insistent we take this mission. I almost said no, but he said…It doesn’t matter. We’ll get through this, and then we’ll celebrate your ascension. It shouldn’t take us more than two or three days, then we’ll get back and I promise that we’ll take a break before the equinox.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” Adriana said.

“Hold anything you want against me. I can take it.”

She looked up at him, eyebrows raised. “Was that an attempt to flirt with me, Lucas?”

The big man didn’t look at her. “I never said I was good at it. I don’t know how to act around you.”

Adriana laughed. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me. Hey, look!”

Alongside the ship, a pod of dolphins swam. They burst in and out of the water in a constantly shifting pattern. The red sun gave their gray a fiery glint. Some darted forward, but the majority stayed close, enjoying the game and companionship.

“That’s the life,” said Adriana. “They go wherever they want, eat whatever they want, and fight the creatures of the deep. That’s real freedom. No expectations boxing them up.” She turned with a crooked smile. “After the equinox, I’m going to change things. I’m going to make them better, and less rigid. And maybe exile the Hierophant and Eva.”

Lucas chuckled. “After this mission…”

“Yeah, yeah,” Adriana said with a roll of her eyes. “You’ll talk to her, everything will be perfect, and we’ll beat the Maw in just a few months instead of years. I get it. Why don’t you shut up and enjoy the sight with me?”

He laughed and settled in closer, his arm all but wrapped around her shoulder. In a comfortable silence, they watched the dolphins play, and contemplated the ever-shifting future. It seemed bright now, but Adriana couldn’t shake the storm clouds darkening it for her. Something wasn’t right, but she’d figure it out. They both would.