Saiyun's jaw dropped. He refused to believe what he saw. It was impossible. The Haodei Emperor's treasure ships were impossible to recreate. No shipyard, no state, had the resources and knowledge to build them. The last of the great shipwrights who knew their secrets were killed in the same storm that had sent so many of the great ships to the bottom. Haodei's successors had let the rest rot in port, unwilling or unable to maintain the behemoths. It couldn't be.
"GET THIS SHIP TURNED AROUND!" Bill bellowed, breaking the silence that had fallen over the ship.
The ship lurched, and Saiyun grabbed the railing to steady himself. Ahead of them, Bellin's ship did the same, turning away from their former prey. The three scout ships turned to match, silhouettes narrowing as they charged straight for them.
"Straight west!" Bill shouted to Cai, pointing at the clouds as the old man held the wheel in a tight turn. "We have to reach the storm before they close in on us. It's our best chance to lose them!"
A crewman shoved Saiyun out of the way and undid one of the ropes tied to the sails. Saiyun scurried out of the way and hunkered down in the doorway of Bill's cabin. The crew scrambled to adjust to sails to wring every bit of speed they could out of the wind. Saiyun's stomach clenched as he remembered the night spent below as the ship pitched and rolled in the heavy surf. As much as he dreaded it, it was still better than being blown to pieces.
"HEY!" Bill bellowed, sticking his head over the railing and staring straight down at Saiyun. "This is no time to sit around, get your summons in the water! YAZWA! Get up here and tell me if anything is coming for us!"
"Right away!" replied Saiyun, digging his summon dolls out of his pouch and looking for an empty spot along the side. Spotting one, he tossed them into the sea, closing his eyes and forcing himself to focus. Both hit the waves at the same time and sucked in water until they manifested into a pair of Swift Tanlins. With a thought, he sent them to flank the ship on either side. They had planned to take out the other ship's rudders with summons. Saiyun could only expect the Vao on the other ships to be just as clever.
"Nothing yet!" came Yazwa's call from the sterncastle. "But the ships are still far away, I might not be able to see them!"
The morning dragged on, each minute feeling like hours as they plodded west towards the storm clouds. Bellin's ship was long gone, having sailed off to the southwest. With a narrow hull and twice as many sails, it left them behind quickly. There was hope the three frigates might break away to chase a large prize, but all three kept a course pursuing them. In the distance, the vast, red hull of the treasure ship was still visible on the horizon.
How had Tsilen managed it? Had they found a wreck like the Emerald Arrow and rebuilt it? No, even if there was an intact wreck, repairing would be just as costly as making one from scratch. Was this simply the flagship of Azun's fleet? But if one could be made, so could more. Even a handful of Treasure Ships would completely change the balance of power in the Raoin Sea. The entire fleet of his Emperor assembled couldn't hope to stand against such a foe. If...
"I see something!" Yazwa called from the stern castle. "Flashes of light behind us! Maybe... ten or twelve in the water and one in the air!"
Saiyun frowned, looking ahead. The storm was closer, but they were only moving a little faster than it was. There was no way they were going to make it before the summons reached them.
Bill vaulted off the sterncastle, landing with a thud on the deck that drew all eyes to him. "You, take over for Cai and keep us heading straight for the rain," he said, pointing at a crewman who ran up the steps."
"Well," said Cai as he walked down the stairs, pistol bandoliers rattling with each step. "I guess we're going to have to fight our way out."
"Listen up!" Bill barked. "We're not sunk yet. They wouldn't be sending out summons if they could catch up to us before we reached the squall. Once we're out of sight, they'll break off the attack and go back to escorting the fleet. Saiyun has his summons in the water to guard the rudder. I want you three on the stern to kill anything that tries to take a bite."
The three sailors nodded,picked up a dozen short muskets between them, and carried them to the rear of the ship. Saiyun willed his two Tanlins to dive and keep away from the surface. The last thing he needed was one of his summons getting shot by their allies.
"Cai, I want you up in the crow's nest," said Bill, pointing up. "Something is coming through the air, probably for our sails or even the mast. If you can't shoot it down then at least keep it away."
"And if we lose the sails we don't have any time to roll out new ones," Cai said grimly, heading for the rope ladder that led up to the top of the mast.
Bill looked around at the rest of the crew, all armed to the teeth and hanging on his every word. "Don't look so grim," he said, punching his palm with his fist. "It's not the first time we've been outmatched. I got us out of Ortan, I got us out of the Emerald Arrow, and I'm going to get us out of this. All we have to do is keep the deck clear. Get yourselves ready."
Saiyun took a deep breath as Bill walked over to him. "I can keep the rudder safe, I'll make sure my summons dive deep so they don't get shot."
"Good," Bill mumbled, looking over his shoulder and leaning in close, looking more serious than Saiyun had ever seen. "What are the odds we're being watched? That the Vao are looking through the summon’s eyes while they're fighting?"
It was a good question, and Saiyun paused to think it through. Looking through a summon’s eyes was a challenge on its own. The farther apart a Vao and their summon were, the harder and harder it got. "Unlikely at this distance," he finally said.
"The ones in the water are closing in!" cried Yazwa. "I can see them splashing on the surface. It looks like the ones from the night before!"
Bill reached out and grabbed Saiyun's shoulder, dragging him towards his cabin and throwing open the door. "Stay in here, barricade the door, and keep down. I can't risk you getting hit with a stray bullet," he said, shoving Saiyun in and slamming the door behind him.
Wasting no time, Saiyun grabbed hold of a bookshelf and shoved it in front of the door. Then he grabbed the sea chest and pushed it across the floor and into the shelf, pinning it in place. He wiped the sweat from his brow and looked out the row of windows. In the distance, he could see the three ships bearing down on them. The hull of the treasure ship was barely a red splotch on the horizon. A sensation of danger flowed in from his summons.
The enemy was here.
Saiyun pulled out a chair and took a seat at Bill's table, clasping his hands and closing his eyes. He willed one Tanlin to swim out and meet them while the other hung back to protect the rudder. The battle was joined.
-
Yazwa held onto the railing with a white-knuckle grip, eyes glowing gold as she looked down into the water. The twelve flickering lights had chased their ship in a long line, but now they were breaking up. Three kept coming straight at them, leaping over waves on the surface. Six veered off and went to the right side of the ship while three went left, diving in unison. Off in the sky, a once-dim light grew ever brighter as it closed in, swinging to the left. In the distance, she could see more points of light, far away but closing fast.
She blinked away her sight and pointed at the three aiming for the rudder. "They're coming straight at us, three of them. They're black and a lot smaller than Saiyun's.”
"Aye," said one of the crewmen, picking a musket out of the pike and putting it to his shoulder. Another did the same, while the third waited behind them with powder and ramrod in hand to reload for them.
"Cai!" Yazwa called, cupping her hands around her mouth and shouting up to the crow's nest. "The one in the sky is coming in on the left! Get ready!"
After a muffled response from Cai, Yazwa looked out over the railing. Half the crew was clustered at the stern by Bill's cabin, the other was gathered at the bow. "Nine on that side, three on that side!" Yazwa shouted, pointing to each side in turn. "But they dove down below!"
"They're building up speed to jump up on the deck!" Bill said as he cracked his knuckles. "Get down here!"
Yazwa ran down the stairs two at a time, heart hammering in her chest as she found a spot near Batro. He was crouched low with his chainmail shirt on and sword held at the ready. "Just so you know, I have dibs on the dolls."
Yazwa laughed and picked up her staff, readying it in her hands. "What if I want one? Why do you get all the trophies?"
Batro grinned and adjusted the grip on his hilt. "Because I'm the quickest. You said these things were rubbery, right?"
"Yeah." Yazwa nodded, pointing across the deck. On the other side Aven, Bill and Ji stood tense and ready. "One grabbed Ji and tried to drag her overboard. They have a strong grip, so don't let it get a hold on you."
Before Batro could reply, there was a roaring splash as nine objects burst out of the water and flew through the air. As they arced towards the deck, Yazwa realized she had been wrong. Six were like the one she had faced with Ji the night before–the body of a seal with a huge human hand where the head should have been all covered with jet black shiny skin. Three of them still had the body of a seal, but with red plates covering their body like a lobster. Instead of a hand, a pair of sharp claws jutted out from the neck, and a pair of beady stalk eyes darted left and right.
A fire roared to life in Yazwa's belly as the armored summon hit the deck. That one belonged to her. With a blink, her eyes shone gold and she seized a glowing white light from the pouch of obsidian blades hanging from her belt. She pressed the light into the head of her staff as she rushed forward, feeling it sink in and shine. With a battle cry, she raised her staff high, swinging it down to hit right between its eyes.
The summon spun to meet her, raising its claws and spreading them wide. It brushed aside her blow with one claw and tried to snap her leg off with the other.
Yazwa's staff slammed into the deck and sank in deep. With one move, she twisted her body to avoid the claw and yanked her staff free. The summon’s claw managed to catch the fabric of her robe as she stepped back and took a glance over the battlefield. Behind her, muskets boomed as the crew tried to keep the summons away from the rudder. There was nothing but an empty deck beside her, while ahead the others tore into the summons. Finding her footing again, Yazwa darted forward, aiming a thrust at its face.
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The blow bounced off,and it bounced forward, lunging at Yazwa with both claws.
Seeing an opening, Yazwa jabbed low and switched her grip, slashing upwards as it tried to seize hold of her. She caught the top of one of the claws and sliced it clean off, sending it spinning through the air. When the creature spasmed in pain, she pressed her advantage and brought her staff down, severing its entire arm.
It shuddered and tried to bring its other claw to bear, but Yazwa danced around it and brought her staff down hard on the middle of its back. The glowing white staff cut through the armor like butter, and when she was halfway through, the summon turned to water, soaking her as the split and half doll fell to the deck.
"Ha!" she crowed, raising her staff in triumph.
No one shared her enthusiasm.
Batro struggled as one of the summons seized his side and squeezed hard, his chainmail keeping him from being gutted. One hand held the other claw at bay while he hacked at the armored arms with his sword. Bits of shell went flying with each strike, but its grip did not weaken.
The third red summon lunged at Bill, claws stabbing into his belly just as he liquified and dropped to the deck. He flowed to the side and reformed, leaping on top of it and seizing its armored arms in a hold.
The rest of the crew struggled against the black ones. Their blades slashed and stabbed at the creature's flesh, but it was so dense they could only chip away one small piece at a time. The summons moved awkwardly, but they were quick and powerful. Across the deck, Ji smashed the knuckle of one hand while Aven leaped on its back and stabbed it over and over again. Another lunged and seized Aven's leg, dragging him down. Ji rushed to help, but the one she was fighting slammed into her and sent her stumbling toward the edge of the deck.
Yazwa ran across the chaotic deck, swinging her staff as she weaved through the battle. With one slash, she cut off an arm of Batro's summon, giving him a chance to pry its other claw away. She took a flying leap over Bill as he grappled with his and gouged a deep gash in a black one that was menacing an ax-wielding crewmate. When she reached Aven, she brought her staff down hard, slicing off the fingers that held Aven's leg. As he pulled out of the hold Yazwa moved on to help Ji, cutting the summon she was fighting so deep it quivered and reverted to water.
"You hurt?" Yazwa asked as the water flowed across her feet overboard.
Ji shook her head and darted around her, diving in to grab hold of the summon’s remaining fingers as Aven stabbed it over and over again in the eyes. Across the deck, there was a tremendous snap as Bill tore a summon’s arm completely out of its socket while Batro hacked a hole in the armor of the one he was fighting. The crewmate Yazwa had helped follow Aven's example and hacked at the summon’s eyes with his ax.
A shadow swooped over the deck as Yazwa took a step to help him. A burst of gunfire drew her gaze up as Cai fired pistol after pistol from the crow's nest. An enormous bird with long wings swooped towards the deck. It was pure white, save for a massive crimson beak. It darted away as Cai opened fire, but as it did, it opened its mouth and three balls of burning goo shot out. One overshot the ship and landed in the water with a sizzle. The second struck the mast and clung to it, tongues of fire licking at wood and ropes. The third sailed towards the deck and hit the man with the ax, the impact knocking him off his feet and sending him slamming to the deck.
Yazwa rushed forward and slashed at the summon that tried to attack, tearing such a deep gash that it flopped away. "Hey, are you alright?" Yazwa asked as her curse snuffed the flames.
He didn't respond. His eyes were empty and his head was twisted at an odd angle. The impact had snapped his neck.
Yazwa froze, staring into his lifeless eyes. If she had just killed the summon he was fighting instead of wounding it-
"HEY!" bellowed Bill, body wrapped around the remaining arm of the summon he was fighting. Batro joined him, jabbing his sword into its eyes. "I SAID GET THAT FIRE OUT BEFORE THE SAILS BURN!"
The order snapped Yazwa out of her shock, and she dropped her staff, jumping over a wounded summon and racing for the rigging. She climbed up until she was close enough to the burning substance for the fire to snuff out. The flames were gone, but the black liquid still clung to the mast. She allowed herself a moment to breathe and looked down on the battle for the ship. The last armored summon was killed as Bill held it down and Batro hacked enough of it away for it to revert to water. The remaining black ones fled the battle, rolling their wounded bodies into the water and diving down.
A giggle floated out of Yazwa's throat as the ship plowed forward towards the storm. They were still going, the seal things had been driven away, and her curse would let them stop any damage the fire-breathing bird could do. They were going to get away.
"What the fuck is that?!" Cai screamed as a frenzied burst of gunfire erupted from the rear of the ship.
Turning her head, Yazwa saw something massive emerge from the water behind them. It was almost as big as the ship and it turned the water to froth as closed in on them. It had the body of a whale with a crocodile's head, with scaly green skin covering its whole body. With a shake of its head, it tossed one of Saiyun's summons into the air and bore down on the ship, turning on its side and opening its jaws wide while the crewman on the back of the ship unloaded every musket they had at it. The creature shrugged off their bullets and seized the back of the ship in its jaws.
The ship groaned and creaked as it came to a dead stop. Yazwa was flung forward, barely managing to keep hold with one hand as she dangled above the deck. All around her, the sails billowed, but they didn't move a bit. They were stuck.
Gunfire continued as Yazwa swung herself over into the rigging and climbed down while the rest of the crew swarmed to the back of the ship. Some picked up spare muskets and joined in the firing, cursing all the while. Yazwa followed Bill up the steps and peered over the railing. The creature seemed content to float there, the back of the ship held tightly in its mouth.
"Don't bother," Bill said wearily, putting his hand over the barrel of a musket as a crewmate tried to pour powder into it. "That's Shipbreaker Yadao. You'd need a cannon to hurt it."
A glimmer of movement caught Yazwa's eye and she spied the giant white bird, circling the ship well out of musket range. The seal-like summons swum in a circle around the ship, keeping their distance. To the east, the three ships continued their chase while they sat dead in the water.
It was over.
"Go get Saiyun out of the cabin," Bill said as the waves washed over the huge summon’s body. "We have one chance. One chance to make it out of this free, but you have to do everything I say."
-
Aven stood in a line on the starboard side of their ship with the rest of the crew, his hands on the back of his head. Their weapons were piled high on the other side of the ship. Two of Azun's frigates were drawn up on either side of them, cannons loaded and leveled. The water around the ship frothed with swimming summons and a second flying one had joined the giant white bird circling above. A long boat rowed through the waves filled with soldiers. As they climbed up the side, Aven glanced up and down the line. Most looked dejected or nervous and even Bill looked grim.
Yazwa, Saiyun, and Ji were nowhere to be seen.
Ladders banged against the side of the ship and soldiers swarmed up them, swords and pistols at the ready. They formed a line across the opposite side until a man in a hat fringed with gold and a bright blue jacket joined them. "I am Captain Kauhy, captain of Admiral Azun's flagship the Golden Colossus," he said, eyes sweeping up and down the line. "Where is your summoner?"
Bill jerked his head to the corpse at the foot of the stairs. "Lucky shot."
Kauhy knelt down over the body and pulled a pouch off his waist. He pulled out a pair of dolls and examined them closely. "Search the ship!" he barked, and half the soldiers broke away and headed down into the hold.
As Kauhy tossed the summon dolls into the pile of weapons, Aven tried to keep the relief off his face. The captain had bought it. Putting Saiyun's pouch on the dead man was a risk, but splattering some of the black goo on it seemed to have convinced him. He kept his eyes straight ahead as Kauhy swaggered up to Bill, only coming up to his shoulders.
"Well this is too good to be true," Kauhy beamed, resting his hand on the grip of his pistol. "I didn't believe them when they said they captured Headless Bill. But here you are in the flesh."
"Let me guess," Bill said, hands still folded behind his head. "You thought I'd be taller."
Kauhy smirked, pacing up and down the line of the crew. "With the cargo, we're carrying I was expecting some trouble with pirates. But I'm honored that one as renowned as you turned up to greet us. Tell me, what do you think of my ship?" he asked, gesturing to the treasure ship in the distance.
Bill shrugged. "I've seen bigger if you'd believe it."
Aven cringed, hoping antagonizing their captors was an important part of the plan.
"Sir," a soldier said, emerging from below. "We've cleared the hold, but there's one door with five locks."
"Well?" Kauhy asked, holding out his hand.
After a moment's hesitation, Bill reached into his pockets and pulled out three keys. "My first mate has the other two."
Kauhy collected the keys from Cai and sent the soldiers away with them. "Tell me," he said, popping off his hat and swaggering up to Bill again. "I've received reports of our escorts coming under attack on both sides of the fleet. Have we ruined some grand scheme of yours?"
"You know how it is," Bill replied. "Where there's treasure, there are pirates."
Kauhy smirked. "Not for long."
"Sir!" called the soldier again as he emerged from below. "We found these people in the room. They say they're prisoners."
Aven held his breath as Saiyun, Yazwa, and Ji stepped into sight. Saiyun was back in his formal robes, hair done up with his bronze hairpiece. Yazwa and Ji wore clean sets of clothes not damaged from the battles they had fought. They looked out of place as they blinked in the sunlight. Now all they had to do was sell it.
Kauhy stepped away from Bill and strode up to the three, looking them up and down. "And whom am I speaking to?"
"Oh thank heavens," Saiyun gasped, voice weak and wavery as he bowed. "You have no idea how enheartening it is to set eyes on another civilized man. My name is Saiyun Li Enaoshi. This is my traveling companion Yazwa Imala and my servant, Ji."
"Odd group," Kauhy said, straightening his jacket. "How did you come to be in such illustrious company as the famous Headless Bill?"
Aven's stomach clenched and he willed himself to stand still.
"It's been a harrowing ordeal, sir," Saiyun answered with a quiver. "I am a customs agent of the Haogon Emperor. I was sent to Adoti to learn about the metals market. Along the way, I met Yazwa, her family imports metals and she was on the same sort of mission I was. Ji was far from home, so I took her on as a servant so she could earn money to pay her way back home. We were getting close to Adoti when our ship was taken by these pirates."
The sheer hate Saiyun managed to pack into the word 'pirates' gave Aven hope.
"I tried to tell them that our embassy in Adoti would pay for me, but they refused to make an offer," Saiyun huffed. "They said they had more important things going on and locked us in that tiny room together. It's been torture, you have my deepest thanks for our deliverance. Even if we serve different masters, it is good to meet a civilized man again."
Kauhy let out a laugh and snapped his fingers. "I am honored to be your rescuer," he said as the soldier placed a fat pistol in his hand. "We'll have to dine together once you're aboard. But for now, let me treat you to a show."
Aven squeezed his hands against his head as relief washed over him. He bought it. He believed them, they had a chance. Aven flinched as Kauhy fired the pistol into the air. It produced a cloud of bright green smoke that blew into his face, making him cough.
"A little smoke will be the least of your problems," Kauhy said, handing the pistol back to the soldier.
For a moment, nothing happened, but then Aven saw the second flying summon plummet down towards the sea. As it got closer and closer to the ground, Aven could see that someone was riding on top of it. When it neared the surface, it flared its long bat wings out and slowed, making a gentle water landing and slowly swimming towards the ship like a duck. He had to admit it was one of the stranger summons he'd ever seen. A body like a swan but with a cobra's head and sleek purple scales covering its body.
"Kneel!" Kauhy shouted and the whole line dropped down on one knee, except for Bill. "You are in the presence of Grand Admiral Azun, Commander of the Navies of the Most Magnificent Emperor Litzu"
The man who climbed up the side of the ship wore a tunic adorned with gold and insignias. Aven frowned, finding something oddly familiar about him as he set both feet on the deck. He was tall and broad-shouldered, a shaved head and a neatly kept black beard. When Aven spotted Azun's piercing blue eyes the bottom fell out of his stomach as he realized the family resemblance.
"Well," Azun said as he stepped up nose-to-nose with Bill. "It's been a long time, son."