"What is it?" Bill demanded, looking towards the quiet town.

"Big and fast," Batro said, adjusting the scope. "It just came out of the road through the woods. It's black it…it's a lizard the size of a horse! There's someone riding on the back of it…I can't tell who."

"So much for Menshi not noticing his scapegoat was gone," grumbled Bill. "Is there anyone else?"

"No, it's alone. It's moving through town and coming towards us, wait," Batro said, gently adjusting the lenses. "It stopped. It jumped on top of a building and it's looking this way."

"Keep an eye on it and tell me if it moves," Bill said, turning his attention to Saiyun. "Do you know if that is one of the summons the Governor has?"

"Yes," Saiyun said hoarsely, eyes downcast. "I've seen him ride it before."

"Tell me he's some puffed-up official who bribed his way to his post," Bill said, glancing up at the distant dark smudge perched on the roof. "He used being good at summoning and family connections to drift through life, right?"

Saiyun shook his head. "He's from a noble family, but served for years in the Emperor's Own Army during the Sianje campaigns."

"A hardened soldier," said Bill, massaging the bridge of his nose. "Perfect. What other—"

"Look out!" shouted Cai. A bright purple creature the size of a man landed on the top of the mainmast. It looked like a massive squirrel with long flaps of skin between its legs. It snarled and shot a spray of finger-sized darts at the crowd on the dock. Aven pulled Saiyun to the ground and a dozen darts whipped over their heads, splashing harmlessly into the water. Ji leaped back, and Yazwa stumbled to safety behind some barrels.

Bill cried out as two darts slammed into his arm. The pain vanished as his whole arm went numb and the sensation started traveling up to his shoulder. "Cai, kill it!" he shouted, taking a deep breath and turning to water. The world went dark as he sloshed down, purging the poison from his body. When he reformed the air was thick with gunshots. The summon darted through the air as Cai fired pistol after pistol. Other crewmen raced below decks and returned with guns of their own. "What is that?" Bill asked, crawling towards Saiyun and Aven.

"I don't know!" Saiyun shouted, curling into a ball as bullets whipped through the air.

"What other summons does he have? What's coming next?" Bill demanded.

"I don't know!" cried Saiyun.

"Excuse me," came a calm voice from above. Tsen stood over them all, hands folded behind his back. "I have some good news."

"What?" gasped Bill, looking up at the wrinkled old man. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the creature zip low over the water and open its mouth. Bill threw himself in front of Aven and Saiyun, taking a hail of darts in his back. Before he even felt the poison he shifted to water to purge it. When he reformed, Tsen was still standing there, holding a dart in his hand. "What?" Bill asked again.

"I said I had good news, I—" Tsen let out a long sigh as a burst of gunfire interrupted him. "You retrieved the correct manual. I am in your debt," he said with the barest incline of his head.

"Great," said Bill, scanning the sky for the summon. "Couldn't this have waited?"

"Punctuality is a virtue," he said, tossing the dart away. "I thought you'd be happy with all the trouble this task has given you."

"This isn't the best time to--, shit!" Bill shouted as the creature swooped low again. A shot rang out and it shrieked, its body turning to a cloth doll and a pile of leaves that drifted gently down to the water.

"Got him!" shouted Cai.

"Is anyone hit?" Bill shouted, leaping to his feet.

"Never tried to hit us!" replied Cai. "What about you?"

Bill looked down, Aven was getting up and trying to pull a shaking Saiyun up with him. Ji and Yazwa peeked out from behind the barrels that had blocked more than a dozen darts. "No one hit!" he called, waving the haze of gunsmoke out of his face. That wasn't quite true, the poison may have been purged, but the wounds left by the darts were starting to sting. "Batro, has the Governor moved?"

"He's not on the roof anymore," Batro said, pausing as he scanned the town. "I see him! He's down on the streets, moving towards us. Fast!"

"Get aboard!" he said, waving everyone on the deck up the gangplank. "Wait!" he called to Tsen, who was halfway to the door below decks. "Stay up here, there's a Vao coming for us."

Tsen paused, cocking his head to one side as the crew scurried about the deck. "You wish to use your favor now?"

Bill eyed him, taking a moment to even out his breath. "No, he's coming for everyone on this ship, you included."

"If he attacks me, I will defend myself and my records. This ship is no concern of mine," Tsen shrugged.

Bill threw up his hands and stormed over to Saiyun. He sat on a crate, covering his ears. "You're a Vao, can you summon something that can fight?"

Saiyun made no answers, only pressed his hands tighter against his ears. His eyes were wide and his skin was deathly pale.

"I don't think he can help," Aven said.

"Bill," said Tsen, tapping his wrinkled finger on Bill's shoulder. "I would like to clear this favor quickly. If you ask, I will defend this ship and kill your enemy."

"No!" snarled Bill, yanking Saiyun's hands off his ears. "Can you summon something that can fight?"

Saiyun looked up, eyes bulging. "N-no," he stammered. "I only know the Ijose Turtle!"

Tsen snorted. "Unlikely. A summon of that size formed from a liquid source? Only a capable Vao could manage that."

"Why would I lie about that?" Saiyun screeched. "He's going to kill me! Oh…oh heaven above, he's going to KILL ME!" he sobbed, squeezing his eyes shut and covering his ears.

"Bill!" shouted Batro from the sterncastle. "He's closing in and he’s armored! We don't have much time before he’s on us!"

"Aven, lock him in my cabin," Bill said, stabbing his finger at the shaking Saiyun. "We might still be able to use him as a bargaining chip. All hands, grab a gun, get up on the sterncastle, and crouch down behind the rail so he can't see you! You two!" he snapped, pointing at Yazwa and Ji. "Have you ever shot a gun?"

"Never," said Yazwa, clutching her staff tight.

Ji shook her head. "Guns are not the path to—"

"Batro!" Bill snapped. "Get down and get your sword! You're better with a blade than a bullet!"

As Batro ran down below decks, Aven emerged from the cabin, tucking the key into his pouch. "What's the plan?" he asked, wiping his sweaty palms on his tunic.

"You three and Batro will stay here," he said, pointing at the deck. "The rest of us will be up there. When he comes down the dock we'll hit him with a volley. Once we fire, you run out onto the dock and finish him off."

"Got it," whispered Yazwa

"I'll tell Batro," Aven said, drawing his long knife.

Ji bowed deeply at the waist. "I'm honored that you trust me to protect your home."

"He's already gone Ji," Aven said, watching Bill bolt up the stairs to the sterncastle. "Not the best time for speeches."

"What," Yazwa swallowed, hands trembling. "What if it doesn't work? What if the volley doesn't kill the mount and it runs up here?"

"Ignore the mount and focus on the rider," Aven said, dropping to one knee. "A summon that big won't be easy to kill, but if we take out the vao that summoned it, it will die too."

Yazwa knelt and traced a circle on her forehead with her finger. "Victory," she whispered.

Bill stood up high on the forecastle, straining his eyes to see between the buildings. If the Governor had been watching through the eyes of his summon, which Bill was certain he was, he had an advantage. He knew the layout of the ship and how many crew were on it. "Easy everyone," he said, muttering to the ten men crouched behind the railing. Each one held a musket cocked and ready to fire, save for Cai who had his collection of pistols hanging on him. "Give me one of those," Bill said, holding out his hand.

"This one has a heavy trigger pull," Cai said, handing him a pistol. It was made of dark wood and brightly polished brass. "Don't lose it, I won it on a very good shore leave on Hilt."

Laughter rippled through the crew; they had all heard that story.

"It's safe with me," Bill said, cocking the hammer back. As he did, the summon burst out into the dockyard. It was a massive lizard the size of a horse with ash black scales. Its legs were splayed out to either side and it held its head high, tongue darting in and out. A harness wrapped around its head, with long reins gripped tight in the rider's hands. On its back sat Governor Menshi, wearing a green breastplate with smaller armor plates over his arms and legs. A green helmet with no face cover rested on his head, topped with a tall red plume.

Workers in the dockyard screamed and scattered as the lizard and its rider rushed by.

"Here he is," Bill said, gripping the hilt of the pistol. "Wait for my order…when it comes down the dock open fire. We take out both of them."

Across the dockyard, the giant lizard slapped its forelegs on the ground and charged forward towards the docks.

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"He's got armor on," Bill said to the crew, watching it scurry closer. "But that won't stop a bullet at this close range, get ready…ready…wait," Bill hissed as the lizard veered off.

The rider shouted, pulling on the reins and directing his mount down the empty dock next to them. Halfway down the dock, the lizard leaped into the water, feet moving so fast they were a blur. The water churned and the lizard zipped across the surface at a sprint.

"It's coming over the water!" Bill shouted, raising the pistol. "It's coming at us starboard!"

By the time he finished the order, the lizard had already crossed the stretch of water. When it hit the dock, it leaped up, sailing into the air above the ship. As Bill swung his arm up, bright orange flames gathered in the mouth of the lizard. Bill pulled the trigger just as a jet of scorching fire shot straight at him.

-

"Gokcha!" Yazwa shouted as the sterncastle erupted in flames. Screams of pain and fear ripped through the air, followed by splashes as the crew leaped overboard to escape the flames and the falling lizard. The ship lurched when it landed, sending her crashing to the ground. When she looked up the lizard was there, wreathed in flame and smoke. Time seemed to slow down as Governor Menshi’s fierce eyes swept the deck. A grimace crossed his face and he pointed his sword down at them. The lizard chittered and opened its mouth to reveal a swirl of orange flame. Yazwa's heartbeat thundered in her ears as the incredible heat bore down on her, only to fizzle out in midair. "My curse!" she shouted, eager smile splitting her face as she leaped to her feet. "It can't breathe fire at me!"

"Don't shout it!" Aven said as the lizard leaped again, slamming down onto the main deck.

"Keep close to its head!" Batro shouted, rushing forward.

Manic energy flowed into Yazwa, and she activated her sight. The world around her turned into a riot of swirling colors, and the body of the lizard shone like a beacon. With a battle cry, she lunged forward, aiming a thrust she had practiced a thousand times at home. The feel of a solid hit sent a thrill running through her body, and she let out a wild cackle. "Come at me!" she shouted as the lizard lurched forward, snapping its jaws.

-

Aven crouched low, ducking a wild swing of the lizard's whip-like tail. He held his knife close to his body, waiting for the moment to strike. Yazwa was keeping its head occupied, which meant fire wouldn't be a problem. The clash of steel on steel rang as Batro and Menshi dueled. Batro swung hard and fast, aiming for the gaps in the armor while Menshi's long, straight sword darted at his head, keeping him at bay. Ji shuffled around on the other side of the lizard, fists raised and tail twitching as she looked for an opening. But whenever she stepped forward it would lurch away, swinging its tail or snapping its jaws, forcing her back. Each lurch swung the lizard's body around a little and Aven crept to the left, waiting until he was at its back. When it swung its tail at Ji, Aven saw his opening and rushed forward. The lizard was lower to the ground than a horse, thus it would be easier to get up on it. He jumped up and landed on the lizard's back behind Menshi with his knife raised. One downward thrust in the gap between helmet and breastplate and it would all be over.

The lizard bucked when it felt Aven's feet, sending him flying through the air. His instincts saved him from a nasty fall when he snagged hold of a rigging line. His knife slipped from his grasp and clattered to the deck as he clung onto the rope for dear life. Yazwa looked up and the second of lapsed attention cost her. The lizard bit down on her arm and flung her across the deck into the cabin wall. It swung around again, whipping Ji across the stomach with its tail and shoving Batro aside with its sheer bulk. Yazwa frantically tried to pull her staff up, but it was pinned underneath her. The lizard rushed at her, it's mouth open.

-

A single gunshot rang out. Spurts of blood shot out of the lizards' eyes and it turned into a mass of charred wood and ash. Menshi fell to the deck with a clunk but leaped to his feet, sword in hand. On the edge of the sterncastle stood Bill, holding a smoking musket up to his cheek.

"You should have let the fire take you," Menshi snarled. He grabbed three dolls hanging at his belt and tossed them overboard into the sea. He waded through the ash remains of his mount and charged up the stairs to the sterncastle.

Bill hopped backward, the scorched floor hot on his bare feet. Snuffing the fire in his water form had taken precious time, but if he was going to sail out of here, he needed an intact ship. The sound of splashing was getting farther away, so the crew was getting closer to shore. If they could hold out long enough for everyone to make it back to the ship, the numbers would make victory a sure thing.

Menshi hurtled up the stairs, eyes flashing and green armor smudged with ash. "Die!" he screamed, swinging a two-handed diagonal cut at Bill's shoulder.

Bill took a breath and liquefied, feeling the sword fly through his body. He flowed under Menshi, grimacing when he felt his stance shift to face behind him. Ending this fight wouldn't be as simple as reforming behind him to attack. Bill kept flowing to the opposite side of the deck and rose up, taking a few deep breaths.

Menshi followed suit, taking control of his breath and switching to a single-handed grip. "I gave you a good deal, pirate," he said, pointing the tip of his blade at Bill's heart. "Your greed will be the end of you."

"Didn't you steal sacred artifacts from your own vaults?" Bill asked, frowning when he didn't see a flicker of emotion on Menshi's face. Goading him into making a mistake wouldn't work now; the old soldier's emotions were back on a short leash. Even without summons, this wasn't an easy fight. Menshi's blade gave him a range advantage, and none of his punches could do any damage through that armor. His only chance was to get in close enough to grapple, but without a distraction that would be next to impossible.

"We're not done old man!" shouted Batro, racing up the stairs and charging at Menshi.

"Praise the Eternal Waters," Bill muttered.

-

Ji knelt on the deck as the sounds of swords clashing rang out from the stern. Blood seeped from a narrow gash on her stomach, accompanied by deep, throbbing pain. "Breathe in strength," she whispered, sucking in a lungful of air and holding it. "Breathe out pain," she said, exhaling slowly. The throb faded a little with each breath.

"Can you stand?" Yazwa asked, clutching her left bicep and limping over.

"Yes," Ji said, biting down on a groan as she rose to her feet. "Is your arm broken?"

Yazwa shook her head. "For something with no teeth, it had one hell of a bite," she laughed, looking over at the pile of charred wood and ash.

"Stop standing around!" Aven snapped, sliding down the mast. "Bill and Batro need help!"

"Of course, let's end this," Ji said. She took one step forward before the ship lurched once again, and three summons climbed up the side of the boat. Each was humanoid, with long arms and legs covered in gray scales. They had no head, but from their chests jutted a fish face with dark eyes and huge frowning mouths that went from their waist to their chest. Thick plates covered their shoulders and upper arms, and a horrific smell rolled off them. They flopped onto the deck and rose up, advancing as one. "Is there no end to these?" Ji asked, taking a stance.

"Pick your partner!" Yazwa giggled, charging at the one on the right. She raised her staff high and brought it down onto where the head should have been. The summon blocked it with one arm and swiped at her with the other. She danced away and held her staff at the ready, grin shining on her face.

The other two hesitated, and Aven rushed forward, taking a swing at the one on the right and drawing it away. Ji shuffled forward, shifting her balance from foot to foot as the throb in her stomach faded away. The summon made the first move, lunging at her in a wild tackle. She easily sidestepped it and twisted around, waiting for one of the ten targets to present itself. The tip of her tail flicked back and forth, ready to be used for a devastating blow.

"Look out!" cried Aven.

Aven's opponent tackled her from behind, sending her crashing to the ground and driving the breath from her body. She thrashed, but the summon seized her arms, pinning her to the ground with its weight and grip. The other summon raised its fist to slam it down on her head. She barely avoided the blow by jerking her head aside.

The summon holding her down gasped in pain as Aven leaped onto its back and launched a frenzied attack with his retrieved knife. Blue goo flowed from the wounds as the summon chased after a retreating Aven.

Ji leaped to her feet, dodging and deflecting more wild blows from the fish creature. Opening after opening presented itself, but the summon didn't have most of the ten targets. With no head and a face on its chest, the only ones left were the kidneys and the groin. After dodging another lunge, she pressed the attack, slamming blow after blow into its lower body. The barrage would have dropped a human, but the Fishman only grunted and lunged again. "Nothing is working!" she shouted.

"Go for the eyes!" Aven shouted, knife covered in blue ooze from his summon’s left eye.

Ji mentally kicked herself, one of the ten targets wasn't gone, it had just moved. Batting aside a wild swing she put all her strength into one blow. But years of training and muscle memory sent her punch towards the familiar target of the heart. The summon opened its mouth wide, and her fist shot in, striking something rubbery and slimy. It’s tongue took hold of her arm and dragged her into the gaping mouth. Everything went dark as she was surrounded by itching, stinging slime. The summon flopped back to swallow her whole, but she spread her legs and tail, keeping her legs safe. Ji struck out, finding soft, yielding muscles in every direction. Spots floated in front of her eyes and her lungs burned, desperate for fresh air. Her punches weakened and her tail went limp.

A tremendous force slammed into the back of the summon. It gasped and lurched forward, sending Ji tumbling out to the ground. She staggered to her feet and gasped for air, wiping gobs of slime out of her eyes. Yazwa stood over the fishman, raining blows of her staff down on the squealing summon and hollering incoherently. While she was distracted, Aven's opponent broke away and charged, tackling Yazwa with such force that both of them sailed through the doors of Bill's cabin. Ji and Aven ran to help, but the other two summons blocked their way.

-

A sharp pain stabbed into Yazwa's back when she hit the floor with the summon on top of her. Pushing against its shoulders, she squirmed out of its hold and searched for her staff. The dimly lit room had a small sitting area with a table and chairs, a place to cook food, and a bed by the windows at the back, but no staff. The summon rose and took a swipe at her, but she seized its arm and slammed it into the wall of the cabin, twisting as hard as she could. Years spent at a hammer and anvil made her strong, even if the lizard's bite made her left arm weak. The summon pushed off against the wall and smashed her into the opposite side of the room. They grappled with each other until Yazwa hurled it away, backing up towards the window at the back of the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Saiyun, cowering beside the bed. "How do we kill these?" she asked, gaze flicking back and forth.

"What?" Saiyun said in a very small voice.

"There are these fish summon things, how do we kill them?" she asked, tensing up as the summon rushed forward, holding a chair above its head. Yazwa raised her arms to block, screaming in pain as the chair smashed into her left arm. She staggered away, lunging back to avoid another swing so hard to fall flat on her back.

The summon raised the chair again, but Saiyun leaped out and grabbed one of its legs, throwing it off balance. "They're Deep Gashan!" Saiyun shouted, pulling as hard as he could. "You have to—" The summon kicked Saiyun in the head and he slumped down, completely limp.

-

Bill wiped beads of sweat off his forehead, every muscle in his body burning. He lurked around the edge of the duel, waiting for another opening as Batro and Menshi clashed. More than a dozen shallow cuts riddled his body, his path around the deck traced by the blood dripping from his arms and chest. All Batro had given him in return were a few chips on his armor. Menshi pressed his attack with a long thrust at Batro, and Bill rushed in, grasping at his empty arm to bring him to the ground. Bill seized hold of the armored arm, and Menshi flipped the grip on his sword and stabbed backward, forcing Bill to liquify or be skewered. He flowed back and reformed, gasping for breath. He was exhausted and could barely hold his water form for more than a few seconds before he had to take a breath.

"You're wasted on piracy boy," Menshi said as he turned to face another attack from Batro. He took two steps back and smashed the flat side of his blade in Batro's sword. The blade flew from Batro's weak grip and before it could hit the deck, the governor thrust his sword through Batro's calf. He collapsed, clutching at his leg. "The same goes for you," Menshi said, flicking the blood off his blade and advancing on Bill. "Imagine what you could have been."

Bill stepped back, looking over Menshi's shoulder. Aven and Ji were still fighting the summons, and there was a hole where his cabin door used to be. Batro was down and his crew wouldn't be able to rescue him in the next five seconds. Tsen could bail them all out without breaking a sweat, but he'd have to get past the armored man to call in that favor. There was only one trick left up his sleeve and it would only work if Menshi took the bait.

"Could have been?" he said, barking out a laugh and calling on all the energy he had left. "I'm not going to be lectured by a self-important clerk who steals from his boss. I've sailed from one end of the Raoin Sea to the other, fought a hundred battles, and won a dozen fortunes. They call me Headless Bill because I have more death sentences than any man alive! You're not the man to make it stick!" he bellowed, lunging as slowly as he dared. Menshi took a step back and swung his blade in a wide arc, aimed right at Bill's neck. Bill took a breath as everything went dark as he turned only his head to water. The blade passed through harmlessly, and Bill thrust his arms forward, grabbing hold of Menshi’s head. He could only manage to jerk in surprise before Bill twisted, snapping his neck in one smooth motion.

Bill fell to his hands and knees, reforming his head and gasping for breath. Beside him, Menshi's body spasmed and twitched before it lay still. A cheer rose from the decks as the summons dissolved into seawater and soggy dolls. He reached out and closed Menshi's eyes. "To be honest, you came closer than most," Bill said, blessing the corpse and letting himself breathe. It was over.

A tiny tremor shook the ship, accompanied by a gentle breeze that sent shivers up Bill's back. He looked over his shoulder and saw the Esgan of Ji's temple perched on the stern railing of his ship.

"Well, Ezu," she said serenely. "It seems you've killed the Governor."