There wasn’t a cloud in the night sky as the ship sailed in through the calm waters. Yazwa took a break from watching the horizon to glance up at the stars, excitement still bubbling in her heart. She spotted a few familiar constellations before her gaze drifted over to the moon. It was a little more than half full, and the night was so clear she could see the red streaks glowing in the darkness. “I still can’t believe it,” Yazwa said, returning her gaze to the horizon, thankful for the dim light.

“Me neither,” said Batro, manning the steering wheel by the light of a single swaying lantern. “They said I was an idiot for sailing so far east without knowing what the plan was. But I knew he had something big planned.”

Big was hardly a good enough word.

A fleet of more than two hundred ships, packed with treasure and they were going to take the whole thing. Even in the bedtime stories about the Chuxa and her ancestors, she’d never heard of anything like it.

“This is something that will be written into the history books and legends,” she said. “We get to be there. Us.” It was so ridiculous, she was unable to suppress a giggle.

Batro gently adjusted the wheel, keeping the prow pointed at a cluster of stars in the west. "Yeah, this isn't just something that gets forgotten. It's huge! I’ve never seen a fleet as big as this one, even on Hilt.”

“Really?” asked Yazwa, squinting to see if she could see the outlines or lights of any of the other pirate ships in the darkness. After the announcement was made, the fleet broke into two, one sailing to the west of the treasure fleet, the other to the west. The swifter ships in the western group had long left them behind. “Isn’t Hilt supposed to have the biggest harbor on the Raoin Sea? Even bigger than Adoti?”

“Yes, but they’re not all part of one fleet,” Batro said, shifting his stance slightly. “Ships mostly sail across Vath’s Oceans in little convoys of seven or eight ships. We make the last one I was in look like a bunch of toy ships in a pond."

"The last one?" Yazwa asked, pulling her dreads back behind her head. "You've done something like this before?"

"Yeah," Batro nodded, taking one hand off the wheel. He reached down and pulled up his shirt, revealing a jagged scar near his hip. "That's where I got this. On my way over from Ankurivi, a pair of pirate ships chased us for weeks until they caught up, and we had to repel them. I caught the backswing on an ax."

Yazwa nodded, taking a seat beside him, then the oddness of something he’d said struck her. "Wait, weeks?"

Batro furrowed his brow, then smiled. "I forget you're new to the sea sometimes. Chases take a long time, especially over open water. Nowhere to hide when it's nothing but water from horizon to horizon. Both ships are using the same wind, so it depends on which one is built faster."

"Oh," Yazwa said, looking over her shoulder at the emptiness around them. "Do you think this will take weeks? I mean, Bill’s plan to take out the convoy."

"Hmmm, depends," Batro said with a shrug of the shoulders. "I've never even heard of a convoy this big, so I have no idea how spread out they're going to be. Back home, convoys stick close together and have warships and cargo ships all mixed in together. They might do things differently here, especially for something this big. I'm sure it will take a few days for the fleet to clear the channel or the islands."

"Which means it will be a few days before Tsen pounces," Yazwa said, adjusting the hem of her dress.

Batro was silent for a moment, looking up at the stars. "Do you really think he can do it? Smash the fleet? Even for Tsen, it sounds like a lot."

For a moment, Yazwa was back in Ortan. Chaos surrounded her as Tsen's summons drove the bandits away. Ca Diro lunged at Tsen, only to be effortlessly blocked and batted away like a fly. "I think he can. He was unbelievable when he came for me in Ortan. Barely broke a sweat."

The smile returned to Batro's face. "Keeping the warships and summons busy while we wait for him will be the hard part. With the ships dead in the water, all we have to do is sail up and make demands. Too bad for you though."

Yazwa blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Batro said, scratching his cheek. "It's going to be a long delay. It might be a whole month before we make it to Hilt."

"So?" Yazwa asked, stretching her arms. "We get there when we get there."

"Oh," Batro said, eyes on the horizon. "I figured you'd want to get there as quickly as you could because of your curse."

Yazwa stared at him for a moment. Then she caught sight of the lantern, hung just far away enough to keep her curse from snuffing it out. Right. Her curse. The whole reason she was out here in the first place. “Uh…well… The blood magic is important too!"

Batro frowned, glancing over at her. "The what?"

"Well, remember on the Emerald Arrow, those soldiers that could jump so high?" Yazwa babbled. "Aven found some vials with blood in them on the black ship, and Tsen said it was blood magic. Since it happened so close to Ortan, that means Ca Diro must have been involved, so he might be selling blood magic to Azun. Taking out the fleet might stop him from doing it anymore, which is why I'm so excited."

"Ca...what?" Batro blinked. "I barely got any of that."

"Nevermind, tell me more about the fight on the ship,” Yazwa said quickly. “What do I need to make it through?

-

Saiyun took a moment to breathe in the fresh, sea air that was causing him so much frustration. Two whole days had passed since the pirate fleet had dispersed, and he had nothing to show for it.

A long silk doll rested on the deck, twitching and bouncing every time the ship hit a swell. Another summon from the red book, uncreatively named Flying Kotack. It had been easy enough to sew, simply a bigger version of Crawling Kotack with bat wings along the front third of the creature. He'd hoped the similarity would make it easier to summon, but that hope had been dashed. Air medium summons were the most challenging to learn, and Flying Kotack was proving to be no exception.

"Are you finished?" Tsen said, scribbling something down in one of his tomes. The wizened old man sat leaning against the deck railing with a book in his lap. Other crew members hurried about the deck, adjusting rigging as Cai shouted at them from the ship's wheel.

"No," Saiyun said, returning his attention to the doll. An aerial summon would be beyond useful, no matter what they were sailing into. Flying Kotack was big enough to hold its own in a fight, could keep an eye out from the air, and was strong enough to carry a full-grown man. He had to learn it–especially because Cai had put long odds on his success. It was petty, but Saiyun wanted to prove him wrong. "I'm ready. Instruct me again."

Tsen marked his spot with his finger and looked up. "Creating an air medium summon is no easy thing. Unlike a solid or liquid, you cannot see air taking form. Air must be felt and touched. Close your eyes and take a deep breath, feel the wind swell in your chest. Imagine your breath flowing into the doll and swelling it. See it grow and grow until it becomes the summon you command it to be."

Saiyun exhaled slowly, forming a picture of the white doll in his mind's eye. Breathing in, he imagined the doll filling with air and swelling up. A breeze tickled his ears as air was sucked towards the doll. He held his breath and imagined the needle-sharp legs bursting out of the sides and the powerful pincers erupting out of its face. Antennae spurted out of its head and the wings slowly began to take shape. Saiyun's lungs began to burn and he spread his stance, holding his balance as he struggled to keep focus. The wings faltered and twitched as he lost the battle and exhaled, feeling a gust of wind slap his face as the air rushed away from the doll. "Damn!" Saiyun shouted, stomping his foot on the deck. "I was so close!"

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

"You were not," Tsen said, still reading.

"I was," Saiyun shot back, wiping the sweat off his brow. "I almost had it fully formed in my head. The gust felt bigger this time too."

"It was not," Tsen said, eyes not leaving the page. "The amount of air you condense around the doll has remained the same on each of your fourteen attempts. Your failures have been consistent, and there has been no progress."

Saiyun scowled, looking down at the doll again. "Again. Instruct me again, it helps."

Tsen sighed and fished a ribbon out of his robe and stuck it in the book, closing it with a snap. He got to his feet and brushed himself off, tucking the book under his arm and walking up to Saiyun. "It does not help. Nor does holding your breath. Please explain why you bargained away two summons for my advice if you do not intend to take it?"

"I can do this," Saiyun hissed, leaning in close. "I learned a liquid medium summon before a solid one. If I can do that on my own, I can learn Flying Kotack with your help."

"No," Tsen said, placing his finger on Saiyun's nose and pushing him backward. "Summoning the Ijose Turtle so young is certainly a mark of potential, but it does not mean you are equal to this challenge. Many great Vao take months or even years to master air medium summons."

"Did you?" Saiyun huffed.

Tsen raised his eyebrow. "There is no way you can benefit from comparing yourself to me."

Saiyun rubbed the bridge of his nose. What was he doing? Mouthing off to Tsen wasn't going to get him anywhere. "Apologies," he mumbled. "I shouldn't take this out on you."

"I will repeat my previous advice to you with a new caveat," Tsen said, readjusting the book under his arm. "The ideal summon for your situation must be large enough to threaten a fully grown man, but not so large that you struggle to find material. You will benefit from speed more than power and you would do well to pick one that can fill multiple roles besides warrior. The caveat is that, while Flying Kotack will fill all those requirements, a summon you cannot perform is of no benefit for you. Since you live aboard a boat, I would advise a seawater medium. That is my final advice to you. I consider our bargain fulfilled."

Saiyun blinked as Tsen turned on his heel and walked away from him. “What? It’s not complete, I don’t know how to do it yet!” he said, following Tsen.

“That fault lies with you,” Tsen said, reaching the door of his cabin and undoing each of the five locks. “I have told you the task is impossible as you are now and have offered an alternate path. Whether or not you take it is up to you.”

“But-!” Saiyun said as the door slammed in his face. He reached up to pound on the door but knew it would be pointless. He climbed back up the stairs and stared down at the inert white doll. A sudden urge to kick it rose in his mind, but he reached down and picked up the doll instead. A quick look told him there were no flaws, no missed stitches, no torn fabric that would explain his failure. The fault was his and his alone. He took a breath as he heard Tsen’s steps on the stairs below. If he couldn’t learn Winged Kotack, there must be some trick he could wring out of the old man.

"Move," said Tsen, as he came up the stairs. In his arms, he carried the bronze pillar that held all his books and on his back was strapped a pack that seemed far too large for his body. The bell he would not stop ringing dangled from his belt, along with a few small wooden boxes.

Saiyun stumbled backward, barely avoiding the slab of metal. The deck shook when he dropped it, corners tearing into the wood. Even now, Tsen's strength still surprised him. "What…what are you doing?"

"Leaving. Bill!" bellowed Tsen, digging into one of the pockets of his robe. “Given the battle that will soon be joined, leaving my records aboard this ship would be foolhardy. I will store them somewhere safe before I take to the skies."

The rest of the crew started to gather around as Tsen shouted again for Bill. “No, no wait,” Saiyun said, feeling his hands start to shake. “I still need your help”

"No," replied Tsen. "Time is more precious to me than anything you could offer."

Saiyun’s stomach clenched up, and he frantically tried to think of anything that would keep Tsen around. The red manual was depleted. He doubted Tsen would jump at the chance to learn the filing system of his office back home or how to properly prepare tea. Bigger things were going on. He clenched his shaking hands into fists and took a deep breath. “Will you let me wish you luck?”

“I won’t stop you from offering meaningless platitudes,” replied Tsen, adjusting the strap on his pack.

“You getting on your way then?” asked Bill, pushing his way through the crew. “About time.”

"I will not take criticism from you after the patience I have granted,” Tsen said, digging into the pocket of his robes "Here, these belong to you now."

Bill held out his hand as Tsen dropped five keys into his palm. "I take this as a gift, not a bargain."

Tsen snorted. "I know you better than you wish. Time is short, and if I were to rip those out of the doorframe, you'd show up in a few years demanding a favor in repayment for your damaged ship. My locks are now yours, freely given."

"Tell me your part in this before you go," Bill said, pocketing the keys in his jacket. "Just so there's no confusion."

A tap on the shoulder distracted Saiyun from Tsen's irate reply. "Is Tsen going?" Yazwa asked, staff in hand. Most of the rest of the crew was above deck, eyes locked on the withered old man and his pack.

Saiyun frowned. The mood on deck had shifted. It was heavy, like a thick blanket on his shoulders. "It would seem so," he murmured.

Yazwa let out a weak chuckle. "So. This is really happening."

The weight on his shoulders seemed to double, and Saiyun realized the reason for the shift in mood. Tsen was the center of this whole wild plan. If he failed, the plan failed. His exit meant there was no turning back now. "Yes," he replied, feeling a knot tighten in his stomach.

"Are you happy that I have memorized your exceedingly basic instructions?" Tsen huffed, reaching down to rap the bell on his belt with his knuckles.

"When the whole fleet has passed the channel or rounded the islands," Bill insisted. "All of it."

"Yes yes," Tsen huffed, taking one of the little boxes off his belt and popping it open. After a quick glance at its contents, he closed it and reached for another. "I will be well above their escort of flying summons. Once the final ship passes, I will begin my attack on the front and continue until every mast has been smashed and every sail torn down. Is that enough to satisfy you?"

"Whoa," said Yazwa, eyes glowing gold.

"What?" Saiyun asked. "What is it?"

Yazwa winced and blinked the glow away. "Those boxes are full of vials. Some of them are so bright I can barely look at them."

Squinting at the box Tsen held, Saiyun caught a glimpse of a glass vial filled with a blue liquid before he snapped it shut. "Is that good?"

"A skilled Achali can condense essence into a liquid form and bottle it," Yazwa answered, rubbing her eyes. "Remember those monsters you saw in Ortan? They were made by mixing the essence of different animals and condensing it down. I didn't know he could do that."

"Are you surprised?" said Tsen.

Yazwa laughed. "I guess not."

"If you are done wasting my time, I will go," Tsen said, reaching into his pockets and pulling out five dolls. Three he flung overboard into the sea, and the other two he flung into the air so high they cleared the mast.

"Brace yourself," Saiyun said, grasping hold of the railing.

A blast of wind rushed upward, rocking the ship as air was sucked into the dolls. Above the ship flapped a pair of giant white birds with sharp claws and two heads. Off to the side of the ship, three more birds floated in the water. They were white as well, with long sharp orange beaks. As they flapped their wings, mist poured out from between their feathers, creating a small fog bank as they took to the sky.

"I remember those," Yazwa gasped, pointing upwards at the two-headed birds. "That's what he flew into Ortan to rescue me on."

Saiyun grimaced as the summons blasted the deck with gusts of wind on either side of the ship. "I don't know what they're called, but I do recognize the other ones. Fachil the Arrow, one of the few mixed-medium summons."

"My turn to ask what you mean," Yazwa said, shielding her eyes from the wind.

"Most summons are manifested from a single medium. Jado from wood, Crawling Kotack from dirt," said Saiyun, watching as Tsen picked up his bronze pillar and hurled it through the air like it weighed nothing. One of the two-headed birds grabbed it in its claws and flew into the sky, following the fog trail the other summons were leaving behind them. "But there are a few that can be manifested from two mediums. Only incredibly skilled Vao can manage such a feat."

With a single leap, Tsen flew into the air, landing on the back of the remaining bird. It swayed in the air until it adjusted to his weight and flew off after the rest to the west.

For a while the crew was silent, watching the fading specks of Tsen's summons until they disappeared into a cloud. Yazwa nudged Saiyun with her elbow. "If he's that good, I guess we don't have anything to worry about, do we?"

"I suppose not," Saiyun said, tearing his gaze away from the sky and turning to face the east, where Azun's treasure fleet awaited. He stuffed the doll of Winged Kotack back into the pouch, fretting over what he couldn’t do was a waste of time. Tsen’s last piece of advice was to try a water-medium summon, perhaps he had best follow it. He stepped away from Yazwa towards the stairs and tried to remember what summons the water-logged manuals held. “If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”