Saiyun sat on the deck in front of his hammock, rubbing his leg. Getting into it had proved harder than anticipated and all he had to show for his efforts was a sore knee. Even sleeping was going to prove a challenge on this new journey he was forced on. With a grunt he pulled himself to his feet and dusted himself off. Dwelling on challenges would get him nowhere. He could only move forward. First he would master the hammock, and then he would move on to a new problem.
“I would speak to you,” Tsen said, less than an inch from his ear.
Saiyun let out an undignified yelp and jumped away, banging his head against a beam. “What the-?! Why would you do that?!”
“I have a question for you,” Tsen said impassively. “Depending on how you answer that question, I will or will not have an offer.”
“I asked you first,” Saiyun grumbled.
“Your question is irrelevant. Mine is not,” Tsen said, taking a step closer to Saiyun. “You claim to only know how to summon the Ijose Turtle, but such a thing is unlikely. That summon has a high material cost and comes from a liquid medium. All Vao who cannot learn more than one summon are limited to low material ones from solid medium, like dirt or wood. Why are you lying?”
“We haven’t even been introduced and you’re accusing me of lying?” said Saiyun sharply.
“You are lying,” Tsen said with certainty. “I want to know why. Summoners capable of such feats are venerated. They have status and opportunities. Yet you have chosen to lie about your skills. Why?”
Saiyun barked out a harsh laugh. “The opportunity to get killed.”
Tsen’s wispy eyebrow twitched. “Ah. You were evading the draft.”
“The low-material, solid-medium summons are great for battle. Once you have one down they send you straight to the front line. Half of them don’t make it longer than a month,” Saiyun said, voice growing darker the more he spoke. “I faked failing and studied in secret until I found a summon that is useless in battle. When I couldn’t learn anymore, they kicked me out, and I found a position in customs. I don’t regret it.”
“Good, you are capable,” said Tsen. “The Ijose Turtle is a summon I have yet to learn. I would have you teach it to me in exchange for use of my cabin.”
“Wait, you’re a Vao? What school?” Saiyun asked.
Tsen sighed. “I have studied many schools. In exchange for teaching me the method, I will allow you to use my cabin at night, while I shall make use of it in the daylight. Is that agreeable?”
“But you have to—” Saiyun said, biting his lip. He could tell pressing the issue would be like arguing with a brick wall. It was time to focus on the matter at hand. Having a place of his own would do him a world of good. Actually, the right thing to do would be to get it for Yazwa and Ji…or all three of them, depending on its size. Such a deal would bring at least some comfort on this miserable voyage.
The ship lurched and Saiyun bumped his head into the bulkhead again. He steadied himself as a cold hand gripped his stomach. He needed power, not comfort. “I have a different idea,” he said. “Even trade. I teach you one summon, you teach me one summon.”
Tsen’s eyes narrowed, multiplying the wrinkles on his face. “Which one?”
“Whichever one I pick,” replied Saiyun. “One for one.”
The ship creaked and groaned as Tsen silently regarded Saiyun. “We have an agreement. I will speak with you once I have my list of summons prepared for you to examine,” he said, turning away and leaving.
“Why wait?” Saiyun asked, following after him. Let’s get started now.”
-
Saiyun rubbed his eyes, staring down at his mess of a list. Names were crossed out and then added again, the notes on each summon were so close together he could hardly read his own handwriting. He tried to organize the list by size and medium, but all that got him was nine summons he thought he could manage to make work. After that, how was he supposed to know which one was the right one? “I wish I had paid more attention to the Great Martial Texts,” he sighed.
“What was that?” Tsen asked from his desk, pausing to dip his pen in an inkwell.
“I said I wished I paid more attention to the Great Martial Texts,” Saiyun answered. “They’re part of the standard Imperial Examination. I studied them, but I never thought I’d put their wisdom to use so I put it out of my head.” He remembered the more famous passages of course, but on their own they meant little.
“I have them,” Tsen said, reaching out to tap the slab of bronze next to his desk. “All eighteen of them. In their original tongues, in Old Qis and all three Gray Translations.”
“That’s…that’s amazing,” Saiyun gaped. The Great Martial Texts were some of the most famous books in all of Qisin. “I’ll take the Old Qis translation.”
Tsen gave him a long look. “You will trade the Ijose Turtle for them?”
“What? No,” replied Saiyun. “I need to read them to figure out which summon I should learn from you.”
“Then what else are you offering for them?” Tsen asked.
“But…but,” Saiyun stammered. “They’ve been in print for centuries. This isn’t secret information, anyone who can read has access to them. I shouldn’t have to trade for something that’s in every archive in Qisin.”
“Then you are welcome to make use of one of those,” Tsen said, going back to writing. “I don’t not lend out the knowledge I have gained without an equal trade. I will trade a summon for a summon, or your summon for the Great Martial Texts.”
A spike of anger flared in Saiyun’s heart, but he bit it down. Getting angry and shouting at Tsen wouldn’t do any good. He needed to get out of the stuffy little room to calm down. “I’m going out for some fresh air,” he said, folding up his list and tucking it into his pocket.
The sun was halfway to the horizon when Saiyun made it back above deck. Several members of the crew were dragging what looked like a giant iron bowl towards the stairs that lead up to the sterncastle. There was no one else on deck save Yazwa, who was sitting against the mast. “Where have you been?” she asked.
“I have been in Tsen’s cabin doing research. We are going to trade summons,” Saiyun said. “How are you? In my eagerness to learn I neglected you and Ji.”
Yazwa cast a bitter glance at the captain's cabin. “I’m fine. Ji and I have our bedroom all set up so we don’t have to worry about that. What are you learning to summon?”
Saiyun sighed and leaned against the mast as the ship swayed to one side. “I wish I knew. There are so many that it’s impossible to choose. I’m no warrior, I don’t even know which ones would be most beneficial. If Tsen would let me read the Great Martial Texts I might be able to make a good choice, but he’s refusing.”
“The Great Martial Texts?” Yazwa said, looking up at him. “I’ve read some of those. But it was a long time ago, I barely remember any of it.”
“I have the same problem,” Saiyun said, reaching up to adjust his headpiece. “He wants to trade. Do you have any knowledge he’d be interested in?”
Yazwa shook her head. “I only had one thing he didn’t know about and I already traded it. Maybe you should ask Bill. He knows Tsen better than I do. Maybe he could help you out.”
“I would…like to spend as little time with him as possible,” Saiyun frowned.
“You don’t really have much of a choice,” said Yazwa. “The ship’s tiny, and he’s going to be giving you orders someday anyway.”
Saiyun’s shoulders sagged. Of course. He was deluding himself if he thought he could stay away from Headless Bill. He was a member of his crew. The damage was done. “I can see your point. Do you know where he is?”
“He’s in his cabin,” Yazwa said, pointing at the doors. “There are some other people in there too.”
“Thank you,” Saiyun said, making his way into the cabin. A table had been pushed up against the bed Batro lay in. Bill, Cai, Aven and Ji sat around it, passing cards back and forth across the table and talking loudly.
“Hey, come join us!” Cai called, waving Saiyun over. “Chuxa’s Palace gets better with six people.”
“I do not know any card games. Ji, how are you doing?” Saiyun asked, stepping up behind her.
“Not well,” Ji frowned, reorganizing the cards in her hand. “I have lost the last three rounds badly. If I want to stay in the game I must win the next one.”
“I did not know you knew how to play cards,” Saiyun said, looking at the strange, colorful cards in her hands.
“I am learning,” Ji said, taking two out of her hand and setting them down. “Cai says it will be a useful exercise in keeping my face impassive. The slightest twitch of an eye can give away your intentions.”
“Hey,” said Bill, setting aside a cigar in his mouth and putting down two cards of his own. “If you’re not here to play, what do you want?”
“I need to speak with you about a matter of some importance,” Saiyun said, standing up straight.
“Some importance or a lot of importance?” Bill asked, watching as Ji picked up the two cards he put down. “If it’s only of some importance, I’d rather wait.”
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“It is of great importance,” Saiyun huffed.
“Palace!” shouted Ji, slamming her cards down on the table.
The rest of the table groaned. “Beginner’s luck!” shouted Cai, tossing his hand onto the table.
“Play this round without me,” Bill said, beckoning Saiyun over. “What is it?”
Saiyun coughed and waved some of the smoke out of the air. “First, I would tell you good news. Tsen and I are going to trade summons. In return for teaching him the Ijose Turtle, he will teach me any one that I wish.”
“Good to hear,” Bill said, leaning back in his chair. “What’s the bad news?”
“Picking the one to learn is proving a challenge,” Saiyun said, resting his hands behind his back. “The sheer variety that Tsen has to offer is astounding. I have narrowed down a list, but I have no idea which on this list would be better than the others. Then it came to my attention that Tsen has the Great Martial Texts in his archive. They are a series of eighteen books compiled together by the best generals of Emperor Latao of the Hitoleen dynasty. They are a thorough and comprehensive guide to warfare, battle and single combat. The greatest military minds in the world keep them close when they are out on campaign.”
“Is that right?” Bill said, taking a long draw off his cigar.
Saiyun coughed and took a step away. “Yes. Tsen will not allow me to read them without a trade, but I have nothing to give him. Do you know of any information I could swap for access to the Great Martial Texts?”
Bill was silent for a moment as the card game went on. He tapped the ash from the cigar and pointed it at Saiyun. “Eighteen books. That’s a lot. But I’ve been here and there and I know things even Tsen’s never learned about. I could give you enough to get what you need, but then you have a problem.”
“What problem is that?” Saiyun said as a pit formed in his stomach.
“See, right now you and I are on an even keel,” Bill said, leaning back. “We’re both after Azun. I give you food and shelter, and in return, your summons will fight for me when the time comes. But if I give you enough information to get Tsen to give up the Great Martial Texts, that means you owe me. The real question is, is someone like you willing to be in debt to someone like me?”
The pit in Saiyun’s stomach deepened and he bit his lip. Headless Bill had a fearsome reputation, and there was no way of knowing what he might do with a favor. Every instinct told him to find another way, but he knew in his heart he was trapped. There was only one way forward. “It doesn’t matter,” Saiyun said, standing as tall as he could. “I have to come back from this voyage alive. If going into your debt is the only way, then so be it.”
“Good,” Bill said, snuffing his cigar in his ashtray and standing up to loom over Tsen. “I can give you enough to keep Tsen happy for a month. But that would take too long. It would be a lot faster to just let you read my copy.”
A burst of laughter erupted off of the table. “Heavens above,” Cai said, wiping his eye. “That was beautiful.”
“What’s so funny?” Ji asked, looking to Aven.
“Don’t worry about it,” Aven chuckled.
“Wait,” Saiyun said, going red as the others laughed at him. “You have a copy of the Great Martial Texts? You?”
“It’s almost like I’ve spent my whole life fighting,” Bill said, walking past Saiyun to a cabinet. He pulled it open and pulled out three thick books with leather covers. “Here you go, all eighteen works. It’s the second Gray Translation. Not as good as the third in my opinion, but it gets the point across.”
Saiyun grunted as the weight of the books dropped into his arms. “But…how?”
“I’m not illiterate you know,” Bill said, dropping back down into his chair and tapping the table for a new hand of cards. “There’s a lot of waiting around in the pirate's life. Something has to fill the time. Get to reading before it gets dark. I want to know what summon you pick.”
-
Saiyun let out a deep sigh and rubbed his eyes. Even with five lanterns swaying from the ceiling, it was too dim in Tsen’s cabin to read Bill’s books easily. “I don’t even know where to begin.”
“I appreciate your thoroughness,” Tsen said, hunched over his desk and copying text from Lanzu’s Manual of Plant Summons onto a fresh piece of paper. “But I would prefer you choose quickly. The novelty of your company is wearing out.”
Saiyun reached into his pocket and pulled out his list of nine possible summons to learn, each marked with the book and page number. “I only have a chance to learn one from you, I want to make it worth it. How do you even have this many to choose from?”
“I have led a long, productive life,” Tsen said as the lanterns suddenly snuffed out all at once, plunging the cabin into darkness. “It would seem Yazwa ventured too close to my cabin.”
“I’ll help you light them again,” Saiyun said, standing up and steadying himself against the wall.
“No,” said Tsen.. He grabbed Saiyun by the shoulder and led him to the door. “We will both require food and sleep soon. Best to take advantage of the interruption.”
Saiyun stood patiently in the hallway as Tsen locked the five locks that sealed his door shut. “I am not done going through your manuals yet. There are still two more I have yet to see.”
“Three, counting my new one,” Tsen said, leading him up the stairs. “Do not be so hasty. There is little for us to do on this ship. There will be time.”
Saiyun took a deep breath as he emerged above decks, spirit buoyed by the fresh sea air. The red-streaked moon hung high in the sky, bathing the deck in silvery light. The chatter of conversation floated over from the rear of the ship where the crew was gathered around a large brazier lit with a roaring fire. “Good evening,” he said with a slight bow. Batro sat against the wall, bandaged leg propped up on a pile of logs, drinking from a mug. The rest of the crew was drinking as well, and Saiyun wrinkled his nose at the smell of alcohol.
“Don’t keep us in suspense,” Bill said, firelight dancing on his hairy belly. “What’s your new summon?”
“I have yet to pick one,” Saiyun said, startled when some of the crew cheered and some groaned, silver coins quickly changing hands. “You bet on whether or not I picked a summon?”
“Get used to it,” Aven said, pocketing a coin. Between him and Ji was a colorful board littered with tiny wooden ships. Cai loomed over them both, watching the game with his hands folded in front of his mouth.
Saiyun opened his mouth to ask what they were up to, but his stomach growled so loudly he blushed. “Where can I get some food?”
“Here,” said Bill, opening a wooden box. He reached inside and pulled out two brown squares the size of Saiyun’s palm and tossed them over the fire. Saiyun managed to catch them and gave one a delicate sniff. It felt like a hard crust of bread, but he couldn’t place the smell of it.
“Such a brilliant foodstuff. Everything one needs to survive, baked into one package,” Tsen commented, taking a bite and crunching loudly.
Saiyun followed his lead and bit down, recoiling when he found it hard as a rock. “Ow,” he mumbled, rubbing his cheek.
“Yeah, you can’t do that unless you’re Tsen,” laughed Cai, tearing himself away from Ji and Aven’s game and draining the last drops from his mug. He walked over to a barrel and turned a spigot, filling the mug halfway and offering it to Saiyun. “You have to soak it in grog first.”
“In what?” Saiyun asked, looking down at the frothy mug.
“Grog. Three parts water, one part rum. That’ll soften it right up in no time,” Cai said.
“Can I just have some water?” asked Saiyun.
“Not unless it rains. Water doesn’t keep well in barrels unless you mix in some liquor. This is the best you’re going to get,” said Cai.
With a glance at Tsen, who was still loudly crunching, Saiyun sighed and dropped the square into the mug. “How long?”
“Long enough for me to teach you how to play Safe Harbor,” Cai said gleefully, pointing at the board Aven and Ji were sitting at. “I’m running out of people willing to play with me. Unless this is the night Tsen finally gives in.”
“Once again, my time is too precious for games. I assume that is Yazwa?” Tsen said, pointing to the front of the ship. Yazwa was barely visible save for her glowing golden eyes. She knelt on the deck, striking something repeatedly on her leg.
“Yes,” nodded Cai. “We brought food over to her when we went to go get Batro.”
“That does not concern me. There is something I must learn,” Tsen said, digging into his pocket and tossing a silver coin into the brazier.
“Don’t let us stop you,” scoffed Cai, turning his attention to the board. “Now, are you interested, Saiyun?”
“I suppose I could use a break,” Saiyun said, examining the board. It was circular in shape and broken into many hexagonal tiles. Red and green pieces shaped like boats were scattered around the board. “What are the rules?”
Cai pointed at the board, poking one of the green pieces on the edge of the board. “The goal is to control as many of these marked spaces on the side of the board by having your ships on them. The game ends when one player's flagship is either taken or lands on a harbor. What are you going to wager with?”
“I have nothing but the clothes on my back,” Saiyun said. “And I’m not wagering them.”
“You have pay coming in, use that,” said Cai.
“It’s true,” said Bill, idly stroking his beard. “Aven swiped some diamonds when he was getting the manual, so the take will be split among the crew. Including you.”
“I could make use of some diamonds,” Tsen said, looking into the brazier.
“Well, then you should have helped us,” replied Bill.
“Bah,” said Tsen, reaching into the brazier. In one hand he held the glowing hot coin, in the other a burning chunk of wood. Without another word he turned and walked towards the front of the ship.
“Did he just—?” Saiyun gawked, watching him leave.
“Tsen’s an odd one,” Cai said, snapping his fingers. “Quicker you get used to it the better. We’ll start low. One silver gatl to the winner?”
“If I must,” Saiyun said, turning his attention back to the game as Aven moved one of his ships toward the edge of the board.
-
Yazwa knelt in the darkness, trying her best to ignore the sound of the crew. It had been months since she was able to sit around a fire. She was used to it. Resting on her leg was a chunk of obsidian that glowed with streaks of bright white light when she used her Sight. She knew from experience that the best edges lay along those lines. Lifting her small bronze hammer, she brought it down on the stone with a sharp strike. The obsidian shattered, and she gently sorted through the pile for the best pieces. When she finished, she glanced up and saw a flickering light bobbing towards her, held aloft by Tsen. “What are you doing?”
“Learning,” he said as he closed in on her.
“Learning what?” she asked, staring and the fire he held in his bare hand. It should have been a shock, but Yazwa had seen his arm nearly blown to pieces. When she saw him next on the ship there had been no sign of damage at all.
The chunk of wood sputtered out and Tsen looked to his other hand, tossing something up and down. “The range and nature of your curse.”
“I’m sorry,” said Yazwa, looking down at the deck. “I thought this would be far enough away from your cabin.
“It was not,” Tsen said, reaching into his pocket and tossing one end of a long, thin rope to Yazwa. “Pull that tight.”
“I know how far it goes,” Yazwa said as Tsen examined the measuring rope. “You could have just asked.”
“I have no need to trade for information that I can discover on my own,” Tsen said, rolling up the rope. “With these measurements I can tell you where not to go. You will have the information in the morning.”
“Wait!” shouted Yazwa as Tsen started to walk away. “You said you were examining the nature of my curse. How?”
Tsen tossed something small through the air. “Catch.”
Yazwa snatched it out of the air and winced when she felt the heat through her callouses. “A coin?” she asked, clearing the soot of it.
“That coin and that piece of wood were both in the fire a few paces ago. Return the coin,” Tsen said, holding up his hand.
Yazwa tossed him the coin. “What does that tell you?”
“The spirit that touched you was clever in its own way,” said Tsen, pocketing the coin. “The wood went cold in an instant, but the coin did not. Protecting you from all heat would quickly kill you, so it did the next best thing and protected you from only that which is physically burning, not heat itself.”
“Wow,” Yazwa said, looking down at the soot smudge on her hand.
“You did not already know?” asked Tsen. “Feh. I should have bartered with it.”
“You’re not interested in anything I know anyway,” scoffed Yazwa.
“Not yet,” replied Tsen as he walked away. “But you’re young and have much to learn.”