“Need som’space for yer practice, miss?” Fillas, the gunner said while rushing to move an empty box aside. Ivy shook her head and without further delay advanced towards the bow, where Riko used to spend the day looking at the atolls.

Since arriving at Male, it was clear the passing through was impossible. The area, a funnel between the reefs of the Blue Kingdom and the dangers of the wild islands, was the only way to follow the Ring of Commerce without having to navigate the tortuous waters of the outer sea, and with no clear permission from Tampra -which controlled the floating city and the fortress of Ujur - there was no way to pass.

The passage was a funnel surrounded by hundreds of cannons at both sides and warships blocking the entrance and swarming the exit. The way back, another closed door and there was no need to tell Ivy why. The Luxury was surrounded by enemy ships with their cannon hatches constantly open as a warning. A trap where they had nothing left but to wait for Vega’s Adamant. A deep hole Riko had led them into headlong.

The thought made Ivy’s blood boil. She snatched the little blackboard and scribbled in a hurry before reaching the captain. “Your uncle doesn’t let me talk to you,” Riko said without taking his gaze off the surrounding fleet.

Ivy erased angrily and rushed to rewrite. “Well, better. I’m the one who has to talk!” Faced with the captain’s impassivity, Ivy shook the board almost to the point of touching him, and after being ignored, she put it down and leaned on the railing to join the scouting.

The city of Male rested on the sea with no visible land to stand on. Like the majestic Mestra, it had canals instead of streets, but unlike the impressive wonder of the north, Male stood up like a pile of rubble that seemed to fall with every gust of wind. The location, lacking mountains or even hills, was constantly hit by powerful wind gusts dissipating time to time the constant smoke the city’s workshops spewed out. The massive pile of shanties, engulfed in a cloud of mixed odours of all kind, did not cast the slightest shadow over the fortress next to it, which raised its spherical plan into a monumental mass of stone whose hundreds of tiny cannon holes filled its entire surface as pores fill the skin.

Worried about Em’s condition, Ivy turned to the entrance of the ship’s hull. His uncle had barely gotten out of bed for two days and the last transfusions were helping him less than the previous ones. Even if the Luxury managed to cross without delay, there was still a long way to reach the northern side of the Ring, and an even longer journey to the NorWes. Her despair triggered a sudden burst of rage and, seeing the calmness with which Riko faced the situation, she threw a fist towards the captain’s arm: A frustrated blow with no conviction he easily intercepted with little effort. “What are you doing, little one? I’m not in the mood for challenges.”

Ivy scribbled again and raised the board. “We Are wasting time!”

“I have learned your signs in Ujan. You don’t need to write,” the captain said.

Not being able to hide the shocking surprise, Ivy signed slowly. “What are we doing? The Adamant will fall upon us at any moment and Em is very weak. We need to go!”

Riko waved his palm towards the ocean. “You’re mute, not blind. I assume you can see what’s around us.”

“I only assumed you’d had all the options planned! But it seems your brilliant plan was the silliest one anybody could think of.”

Calmly, Riko took off his military jacket and pulled up his sleeves before helping a sailor climb the ropes. While the city expedition was being helped to board, Ivy noticed the captain’s arms were free of ink, making her doubt about the reliability of her own memories.

When Riko gave one last tug to lift Adan, his quartermaster, he continued speaking. “The Admiral also said Male was going to be assaulted by a formidable force from the north. I see nothing more than Parni and Squids scratching their balls. So, it seems your plan is as flawed as mine.”

Ivy let out a loud sniff and an even louder snort. “So, what’s next, then?”

The captain leaned his weight over the ship’s edge, waiting for reports. “The Bloody Grin has a new cap’n,” Adan said. “Dom Agardo is called. My mate Pete said he’s a coin.”

“So is most of the crew in the Misty and the Furious Vengeance.” Added another young squid whose name Ivy didn’t have the time to learn.

Her stay in the Luxury wasn’t only practise. Even though Ivy was wary of the mercenaries, she pretended to ease, feigning bonds with men who were all willing to befriend her without expecting much in return. As a result, she gathered an extensive amount of important information to share with her true allies. The ‘shiny coins’ was the way Riko’s crew called men more aligned with Vega’s ways. All the rest, more prone to the old ways, were ‘rusty nails’. To Ivy, there was not much of a difference between them, but as long as one side was helping them to escape, she was fine with it.

Riko pressed the top of his nose and moaned. “Do any of the ships have rust?”

“There're rumours the Hellion is patrolling the wilds,” said Roland, the carpenter’s mate. “still under Cap’n Gianni. Pretty rusty crew. And there are two companies in the city. Aron says it is a half-half, but…”

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“But?” Riko asked, looking askance over Adan. “What did smiley Alora say?”

“She said a lot of things, but… officially… nothing.” Adan slowed down his words, as if not knowing how to continue. “Parni word is we are now under their command. Old squids whisper Vega has made a juicy deal with the Rajah. A marque agreement of sorts. Most of the brothers are pretty excited about it, even the nails.”

“‘Chubby’ Gina was with a red from da’Morning Star,“ ‘Pimple’ Paul said. “A Red Island patroller. Dey sent half of da fleet months ago, and da rest is comin’. Dey are all leavin’ North for da South Boss. But may’ll be all parniport. Gina lies as much as she fu-”

Paul froze to Riko’s terrifying gaze. The captain’s nose wrinkled, as did his glabella. Crossing over a naughty grin, Paul’s finger reached to tap an invisible hat. “Sorry, miss. Not used to ladies on da deck!” The apology, half mockery, half serious, did not please Riko, who didn’t flink. Paul quavered, waving his palms nervously. “O’rite, o’rite! I’m… I’m sorry Captain. Won’t happen again!”

Paul was a new lubber, and although loyal to Riko’s cause, he still didn’t learn how to behave in the proper manner the captain demanded of his men. The Luxury’s crew had not always been entirely ‘nails’ and after Riko found the Tiger alive, it took a long time to replace all the ‘coins’ without raising suspicions. He did it though, and all people he did not trust completely were on other ships, including the three who Ivy had the pleasure to beat to pulp in Ujan. She searched for them early on; especially the old northerner who threw a tomato at her new dress. But the dream of tormenting him a little further didn’t come true. The memory of the fight filled her with pride, a feeling immediately dissipating with the picture of the failure striking right after. A defeat Riko made sure she’d never forget, thanks to a scar over the eyebrow.

During one of the many moments she shared with Em on the Luxury, her uncle explained the nature of Riko. Created, designed, or made, it didn’t matter. What did was they were different from the average. To Riko, it was the doings of science on the island of Ventfort. Experiments of a man way dead before she was born but a man, Riko said, who shared his knowledge with others. And it was surely clear one of these ‘others’ ended up in Sweetwater.

Riko shared her unnatural strength and speed, but unlike Ivy, he did not seem to have any adaptation to aquatic environments. It was perhaps the only thing in which she had some advantage over a man who surpassed her in experience, power, and skill. His superiority filled her with raw envy and to top it all off, he lacked all the problems associated with an amphibious built. His eyesight was perfect and, on top of that, he could talk instead of making monstrous squeals. Just as the prosthetics created long after Em’s ones were all inferior, she was newer than him and yet more imperfect.

Lost in her thoughts, Ivy missed the rest of the report, and before she knew it, she was alone with the captain again. “We’ll sneak into the city and hide in Alora’s whore-house.” Riko said. “There my quark will take care of the Admiral until I find some boats to sail into the Blue kingdom. What’s beyond the Floating Dunes?”

“Inhabited islands,” Ivy said. Riko’s eyes narrowed, and she immediately realised lies wouldn’t work. “Tujuh-Pantai and the Besar-Dua. Those are the only islands with some life. But that’s a terrible idea! It will take us forever to get there and another forever to get out of the Maze! Em doesn’t have that much time!”

“I’m open to suggestions.”

“We do what you say,” Ivy signed. “But instead of taking boats to the Blue, we capture one ship in the northern port. Some vessel with a schedule for Jo so as not to raise suspicion and robust enough to navigate the great current.”

Riko caressed his chin and took a deep breath. “That could work. I don’t need many men to capture a merchant and sail her. We will be quite exposed to attacks from Uwe pirates without the firepower of the Luxury, though.”

Uwe attacks were possible, but not probable. It was a chance worth the try. Furthermore, the great North Current was approaching the southern cluster before reaching Uwe’s domains and with a little luck and favourable winds, they could catch such a fast waterway halfway to Jo-Dan. Before Ivy could sign her conclusions on the issue, the Luxury’s doctor approached with dragging feet and nervous hands. “Captain,” he breathed. “The Admiral would like a word with you. He said it is a really important matter to discuss.”

Ivy hurried to pick up the chalk. “Is everything fine? Is he feeling worse?”

“All like usual, do not worry,” said Obiko. Riko was good at picking up any lie, but she didn’t need much to recognize a terrible liar either. Ivy took a step to follow Riko, who stood up to block her.

“I promise to call you if there is any problem.”

Hesitating but obeying, Ivy watched the captain walk away with a haste that faded with each step. Halfway to the hatch, Riko turned to stride back. Like a hurricane, he passed Ivy around and only stopped at the bow’s end. The Luxury’s crew, Until now enjoying a silent calm, rushed to tasks with no need of command, and soon the ship filled with the sounds of squeaking wood and clanking metal.

“The passage wall is opening!” Riko said when Ivy caught up. ”And the surrounding ships are closing quarters.”

A mate named Gerty shouted with his finger pointing at the sea. Ivy’s eyes drifted from the lowering sails on the horizon towards a young kid waving his hands from a small rowboat. When the kid reached close enough, a chat began with the kraken sailor. “Is Alora’s valet, Cap’n!” Adan said main time.

The conversation between Gerty and the valet lasted little, and soon the news reached. “An armada is comin’ from the nor-side of the crossin!” Gerty said.

Her heart pounded hard, and for once it was not because of despair or rage but welcomed excitement. If it was Otoke, the sudden commotion of a surprise attack would open the crossing for them. A chance to escape once and for all. Riko didn’t share the joy. He knew his men and none could hide their unrest from him.

Gerty hesitated, his eyes jumping around all the present. It was bad news; she realised. And the only option crossing Ivy’s mind became a fact after the mate continued. “They’re all ships with Uwe’s flag, sir.”

The report was disheartening, but nothing compared to the kick in the gut coming afterwards. “All except the flagship, sir. That one is ours.”

“We need to figure out who they are as soon as possible,” Riko said with suppressed eagerness.

“Well… we… we already know, sir,” Gerty said. “Is the Adamant Sovereign.”