"I have two summons that could be of use," Saiyun said, sitting up straight and holding on to Bill's table with one hand as the deck pitched and swayed. A storm was rolling in from the east, and the seas were getting rough. "Jado the tree-runner, which is manifested from wood, and Swift Tanlin, manifested from water. I know two others, but they are unlikely to be helpful."

"Told you it was worth it coming over," said Bill, swaying as the room did. "We should team up now that we know what's coming."

The other man at the table, Captain Bellin, looked Saiyun up and down. A patch covered one of his eyes, and a multitude of scars criss-crossed his face. He wore a tightly tied bandanna on his head and a long, heavy coat with at least six knives and four pistols strapped to it. "I know Swift Tanlin, but I've never heard of Jado the Tree-Runner" said Captain Bellin.

Saiyun dug into his pouch and pulled out Jado's doll. "It's slightly smaller than Tanlin, able to climb quickly, and strong enough to carry a man on its back. It can be manifested from wood that's dead or alive. I've used it to disable the rudder of a ship before."

"Which is exactly what I'm proposing," Bill said eagerly. "From what I found, this part of the line is patrolled by three fast frigates, and the lead ship has three Vao aboard. None of their summons are big enough to fight off Swift Tanlin. You engage them with your Vao and cannons at a distance to keep them distracted. Saiyun sends in his summons to smash their rudders. If they try to close distance, we use Jado to put big holes in their ships. Then we either pick them off one by one or make a break for it while they can't chase us. Either way, it's three of theirs out of the fight."

Saiyun winced, reaching down to rub his legs. After two days of rest the soreness had faded, but he did not relish taking such a long ride on Tanlin again. "It is possible."

"It's also quite risky," Bellin said, keeping his eyes on Bill. "My vessel carries a decent battery of cannons, but not enough to outshoot three frigates. We only carry two Vao who can maintain five summons between them. Even though we can field air-medium summons and they can't, it still puts us at a disadvantage. We're supposed to draw the warships away from the rest of the fleet, not fight them head to head."

"He had a good point," Saiyun added. "We easily drew that other ship off. Why not just keep our distance until Tsen makes his move?"

Bill groaned and looked up at the ceiling. "If I thought Tsen could do this on his own, I wouldn't have cut the rest of you into this. The more damage we do, the easier it is for him to do his job. Did you send word to the other ships about what we found?"

Bellin nodded. "Yes, our summons carried the message. By now they should have gotten word to others on the western line."

"Everyone is going to be changing their approach then, now that they know more," Bill insisted. "It's the smart thing to do, gathering in groups now that we know they're sailing in threes. On our own, neither of us could do anything to three frigates. Together we've got a shot."

Silence lingered as the ship rode over a tall wave, treating them to a chorus of creaks and groans. "I'll talk to my Vao and see what they think our chances are. Once this storm passes I'll give you an answer if we both make it through," said Captain Bellin.

"No need to be so dramatic about a little wind and rain," laughed Bill, rising to his feet. "Nothing but a squall. I'll see you when the sky clears."

"Good luck. To both of you," Bellin said with a brief nod of his head before he slipped out the door.

Bill watched him go until the door swung shut. "Abatel really knows how to beat the initiative out of them. If he doesn't bite, we'll have to keep our distance and see if we can get one to break off and come after us. Think you could manifest Jado underwater if you threw it under the ship?"

The absurdity of the situation struck Saiyun. All he had ever wanted to be was a scholar and an official and here he was answering questions for one of the Raoin Seas' most notorious pirates. "No," he said, shaking his head. "Jado has to be contacting the wood for it to work. The water would sweep it away from the hull too quickly."

"Shame," Bill said, stretching his legs and pushing in his chair. "We'll have to repeat our trick we pulled at the Emerald Arrow."

"Wait," Saiyun said, remaining in his seat. "I have to ask you about something you told me."

Bill raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to guess it's about how a valuable man is always welcome at court?"

Even after all these months, Bill could still surprise Saiyun. He supposed one did not become a legendary pirate without having a sharp mind. "Were you telling the truth?" Saiyun asked, fighting to keep a rush of emotions on his face. "Do you really think this will wipe the crimes I'm accused of away? Or were you just lying to get a Vao on your ship?"

The playful glint didn't leave Bill's eyes as he leaned forward, resting his calloused hands on the table. "What brought on these doubts, hm?" Bill asked, holding dead still even as the deck shifted underneath him. "It's not fear and it's not moralizing about serving a pirate either. I hope you respect me enough to not think I'm going to stab you in the back and take your share."

"The thought occurred to me," Saiyun replied, holding his gaze. "But you're not that greedy."

Bill's beard twitched as he smiled. "Don't hear that very often. If you don't think I'm going to betray you, what is it?"

"Back in Channan Harbor, you told me that we would be going up against one of the false claimants to my Emperor's throne," Saiyun said, picking his words carefully. "And you were telling the truth. This attack will completely cripple Tsilen, and it will completely change the course of the war for the Floating Palace."

"So far I sound like I was telling the truth," replied Bill.

"How am I supposed to prove I was here?" Saiyun hissed, kicking himself for letting his anger show. "This isn't going to be some secret. Everyone will know about it. If I show up back home and say I was there, no one will believe me, and they'll chuck me in prison for theft, burning down the Magistrates manor, and killing the Governor when he tried to chase me down."

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Well, showing up with a ton of Azun's gold should help convince people."

Saiyun leaped to his feet and slammed his hands down on the table. "Don't treat me like I know nothing!" he shouted, leaning forward until he was in Bill's face. "After this, we sail to Hilt and there's no safe way to bring that much gold back to Channan Harbor. I've seen enough of this sea to know that."

"Your Emperor keeps an embassy on Hilt," Bill said, not flinching away from Saiyun's rant. "Show the Ambassador your plunder and get him to write you a letter."

"Oh that won't work," Saiyun scoffed. "Hilt is where they send people into exile, so they'll assume I either faked the letter or bribed the Ambassador to write it. There's nothing I can take from the ships either. Nameplates, banners, and officer's insignia, all of it can be faked or bought after the attack is over. Just admit you lied to me, there is no way I can clear my name!"

"Logbooks," Bill said, eyes dancing.

Saiyun blinked, fury sputtering out as he tried to register what Bill had said. "What?"

"The best proof you can bring back is logbooks," said Bill. "The ones on these ships will have leather-bound covers and be made with the finest paper. The captain and his mates take down notes every day, all the different styles of handwriting make it hard to forge. No chance you bought it on the market after the battle, because who ever heard of a pirate plundering a logbook? You won't even have to fight the rest of the crew for them because they don't want them anyway. A stack of ships logs from Azun's shattered fleet will prove beyond a doubt you were here."

The idea ran through Saiyun's head and he tried to find some flaw, some lie that Bill could be telling him. A logbook could be forged of course, but there were plenty of officials at court who could examine them. Saiyun was certain that a ship's log had never shown up at a pirate's bazaar either. He swallowed, feeling his legs go weak. "Are you sure?"

Bill leaned back and drew an X over his chest with his finger. "Cross my heart. That was the plan from the start. I have to say I'm surprised it took you this long to ask."

Saiyun sank into his chair as the anger drained out of him. There was a way to prove it. This whole voyage hadn't been for nothing. He could go home.

All he had to do now was survive.

-

Yazwa gripped the railing tight as the ship cleared a wave and the bow of the ship slammed down in the water. A blast of spray shot up into the air and blasted into her face, carried by the gusting winds. The eastern storm had swept over them as the sun set, pounding them with rain and wind. Yazwa was just as soaked now as she had been riding Tanlin with Saiyun. "That was the seventh!" Yazwa called over her shoulder in the darkness.

"Good!" shouted Cai, gripping the ship's wheel for dear life. "The seventh is always the biggest! We can relax for a minute."

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A sharp gust sent Yazwa's dreadlocks flying and fluttering in the wind. "Who can relax in this?!"

"This is nothing compared to some of the storms I've been in," Cai said, spitting rainwater out of his mouth. "If you're bored, take a look again for me!"

Hunkering down, Yazwa's eyes flickered gold as she stared into the night. It was almost as dark, but off ahead of them she could see two points of light bobbing up and down. If they were going to team up with Ballin's ship the next day, they couldn't let the storm separate them. So Bellin's Vao had perched a summon on each match to give Yazwa something to follow. Which meant she was stuck up here with Cai until the storm broke. "They're still up ahead," she called, pointing out into the darkness. "Maybe...five degrees to...starboard?"

Cai spun the wheel, bracing himself against the storm. "We'll make a sailor out of you yet!"

"Never!" Yazwa replied, half joking, half serious. Steering the ship through a storm had seemed quite the adventure at first, but now she was cold, tired, and aching for the comfort of her hammock. As the ship plowed through another wave, a strange noise reached her ears before it was drowned out by the shriek of the wind. "Did you hear that?"

"What?" Cai asked. "Is the ship making a noise?"

The ship was groaning each time it hit a wave, but that was nothing new. "No, it sounds like...a voice," Yazwa said, peering forward. Through the rain and darkness, she could just barely make out a white shape clinging to the mast. The wind died down just enough for her to make out someone speaking in a language she did not understand. "Ji?!"

"Ji?" replied Cai. "What's she doing out here?"

Yazwa carefully pulled herself to her feet and lunged for the railing of the stairs that led down to the deck. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out!" Holding on tight, she stumbled her way down the stairs to the open deck. In between waves she darted towards the mast and grabbed hold of it.

"Yazwa!" Ji called gleefully, soaked to the bone with one arm and her tail wrapped around the mast. "Isn't this great?"

"No!" shouted Yazwa, hugging the mast tight. "What are you doing here? Everyone except me and Cai is supposed to be below decks!"

Ji leaned in close to Yazwa, smiling gleefully. "En Chitei is here! In the storm! I have to let them see me, let them know I'm here!"

"I think they've figured it out by now," Yazwa said, grip slipping on one of the ropes tied around the mast. "Go back below!"

"A storm before a battle is a good omen," Ji said. "I might hear En Chitei's voice on the wind, this could be the end of my path!"

Yazwa finally found a decent grip and dropped down to one knee. "It will be the end of your path if you get washed overboard and drown! Go below!"

Before Ji could answer, Cai shouted out a warning. "Seventh wave coming!"

"What does that mean?" Ji asked.

The deck pitched up and Yazwa swore it went vertical. Her legs slipped out from under her on the wet boards and for a moment she was dangling in the air, her grip on the mast the only thing keeping her aboard. The deck leveled out and a flood of water battered her against the mast. "Go, below," she coughed, spitting up water.

"Take another look for me!" called Cai, voice barely heard above the rushing wind. "That was a big one, so it might have altered their course!"

Ji still clung to the mast, her enthusiasm undiminished. "You don't understand, enduring a storm is a rite of passage for acolytes! Through it, we learn the might of En Chitei."

"Haven't you learned enough by now?" Yazwa said, eyes stinging with salt.

"Never," said Ji. "Even after becoming an Esgan an acolyte never stops learning."

"Yazwa!" Cai called. "Can you hear me?!"

Forcing her glowing eyes open, Yazwa peered ahead. "They're still in the same spot–"

Wait.

Wiping her eyes to make sure they weren't playing tricks on her, Yazwa squinted at the two bobbing lights. They were still there, a pair of steady white lights. But there were more now, three, no four. Four shimmering dark blue lights were strung out between them and the other ships, bobbing in the waves. "There are summons in the water! Four of them!"

"Are they from Bellin?" Cai called. "How big do they look?"

"I don't know!" Yazwa sputtered. "I think...I think they look smaller than Tanlin! But they're moving so much I can't be sure!"

"Are they attacking?" Ji asked, most of the glee out of her voice. "Should we get ready to fight?"

Yazwa grimaced as the ship heeled to one side, her fingers aching as she tried to hold on. Before she could reply a wave smashed into the side of the ship, lifting the closest blue light and hurling it towards her. The light from her eyes flared out and she gasped at the sight of the creature as it flopped on the deck. Its skin was jet black and rubbery, most of it resembled a large seal. But instead of a head, a massive human hand grew out of its body, with one red eye between each knuckle.

With a sharp twist the creature flipped off its back and lunged at her, grasping.

"It's a summon!" Yazwa shouted, lashing out with her foot. It grasped her leg and started flopping towards the edge of the boat, threatening to pry her off and drag her into the roiling sea. She clung to the mast with all her strength, kicking the hand that held her tight. "No, no no!"

There was a flash of movement above her as Ji let go of the mast and surged forward. Carefully keeping her balance on the bucking deck she stepped forward and slammed her fist down onto the knuckle of the summon’s thumb.

Yazwa felt the impact as it spasmed with pain. She twisted her foot and yanked her leg out of the creature's weakened grip, giving it another kick to keep it away. Before it could attack again, another wave washed over the ship. Ji was swept off her feet and Yazwa lunged out, grabbing her ankle before she could be washed overboard along with the summon.

"What's happening!?" Cai shouted frantically over the wind. "Yazwa, Ji! Talk to me! What's happening?"

"A...A..." Ji gasped, scrabbling forward to grab hold of the mast. "A seal...hand thing grabbed Yazwa and tried to pull her off the ship! I broke it's thumb and then it washed overboard!"

As Ji shouted, Yazwa slowed her breathing and willed her sight to work. The four blue lights were back in the water and forming up into a line, swimming east. East meant they were summons of Azun's fleet, scouting out what might be in the storm.

Yazwa grimaced and flexed her foot. Good, nothing hurt. She was going to need to be in her best shape in the morning.

Azun’s fleet knew they were coming.

-

Aven frowned as he wiped the last dregs of his salve out of its clay pot. The bucking ship had caused more than a few injuries as it tossed the crew around. Luckily there hadn't been anything serious, but tending to them had wiped out the last of his supply. He was sure he was going to need it in the days to come. "This is the best I can do," he said, dabbing the green paste onto Batro's face. "I don't think you'll be able to open your eye for the rest of the day."

"Figures," Batro grumbled, wincing at the cool sting. "It just got better after that captain bashed me in the face with the hilt of his sword. At least I got to keep it."

Glancing down at Batro's pile of trophies, Aven stood up and brushed himself off. "Stay in your hammock and let it do its work. I'm sure you'll hear the call when it comes."

Batro sighed and leaned back, swinging his legs into his hammock. "I'd try to take a nap, but no way is that happening."

Aven let him be and climbed the stairs up on deck. There was a blue sky above them and to the west was the storm slowly drifting away from them. To the east a bank of fog hung low, clinging to the surface of the sea. Up ahead of them was Bellin's ship which endured the storm at least as well as they head. A jolt of excitement rippled down Aven's spine as he spied the crew running the cannons out of the gun ports. This time they wouldn't be ambushing some lone scout ship. There were warships out there, waiting.

A splash and a grunt announced Bill's return to the ship as he climbed over the railing, soaking wet. Everyone stopped what they were doing, waiting as Bill wrung the water out of his beard. "Bellin's agreed to our original plan," he said, shaking out his dripping hands and pointing to the east. "And not a minute too soon."

Aven turned and spied the prow of a ship emerging from the fog bank. As it pushed through, its sails emerged into the sunlight along with the rest of its hull. Aven swallowed. It was the same type of ship that attacked them on the island where they found the Emerald Arrow. Its sleek black hull cut through the waves, and he could imagine the sabretooth banner flying from the mast and the guns run out on deck.

"Don't stand there gawking!" Bill shouted. "They got close with that fog bank! Cai, keep us tight with Bellin! We need to be able to talk to each other! Saiyun, get ready to put your summons in the water! Yazwa, I want your eyes open so we have some warning when they start to close in!"

The deck exploded in activity as the crew raced to their stations. Some ran below to arm themselves, while others worked the sails at Cai's command. Yazwa ran to the stern, peering out to the east as another ship emerged from the fog bank.

Ji joined Aven at the side of the ship, tail twitching in excitement. "Is it happening?"

Aven glanced down at her tail. After the soaking she got last night he inspected Cai's stitches and replaced the bandages in the hold where Yazwa and Saiyun couldn't object. The old man had done good work and the fresh bandages would keep the wounds from getting damp. "Those are the ships we're after. It will still be a few hours before we're in cannon range."

"We should spar then," Ji said, bouncing on her heels. "Are there any other tricks you can show me about fighting in the hold?"

A feeling of dread threatened to settle over Aven, but he shook it off. At least for now, the plan just relied on them to repel boarders that tried to come on the ship. The Vao would be doing the fighting, along with Ballin's gun crews. He wouldn't have to watch her fight for her life today. "No, we should rest. Don't want to hurt ourselves before we get a chance to fight. Do you remember what the most important thing about fighting in close quarters is?"

"Awareness," Ji said as the third ship emerged from the fog bank. "Putting too much focus on one enemy will just stab me in the back. Never stop moving, never stop to rest until the battle is won."

"Right," Aven said, staring out to sea at the ships. "This time, we'll stick together and watch each other's backs. Don't go running ahead like that again."

Ji nodded, leaning on the rail and radiating excitement.

Aven left it at that and reached down to make sure his long knife was strapped tightly to his waist. He was out of things to do. The crew's injuries were tended to. Yazwa's foot was fine, Ji's cuts were as good as they were going to get and he had done everything he could for Batro. There was nothing left to do but wait for the battle to be joined.

A flash of color in the fog bank caught his eye and he squinted, shielding his eyes from the sun. A fourth ship sailed out of the fog, the hull painted a vivid red. Aven's heart skipped a beat as it kept coming and coming, dwarfing the three ships that came before it. Its sails were carried on not two, three, or even four masts, but dozens that rose from the massive ship like a forest. Even at this distance, he could tell it was the same size as the Emerald Arrow.

Aven gripped the handle of his knife as he realized just how much trouble they were in. The secret shipyard his mother had spent her life searching for, that was so well protected that not even she could break into it. If Azun could make one, he could make more, and there were supposed to be two hundred ships in this fleet.

They were all going to die.