Aven lay on the back of the Ijose turtle, staring up at the sky. Tall, billowing clouds drifted by in the distance, slowly moving north. There was nothing but water for miles around, save for the ship with its sails rolled up, a few barrels bobbing up and down, and a pair of bare, rocky islands jutting out of the sea. The ship was so far away Aven could barely hear anyone on it talking over the frantic splashing.
“Ten!” gasped Saiyun, grabbing hold of the side of the turtle.
Aven stretched and sat up, looking at the makeshift course. Four barrels floated on the surface of the water, half-filled with ballast to keep them stable. Saiyun had been swimming laps between them, the gentle current slowly making them drift apart. "How do you feel?" Aven asked.
“My lungs are on fire,” Saiyun wheezed, clutching the turtle shell for dear life.
“Good.” Aven nodded. “I think that’s a good place to stop. Have the other one gather up the barrels.” There was a moment's pause while Saiyun closed his eyes and concentrated. A second turtle paddled towards the barrels, slowly gathering them up. “Come on up,” Aven said, reaching down to him.
"I can get up on my own," Saiyun said.
“If you’re too tired to swim, you should be too tired to climb,” Aven said, reaching out further.
Saiyun scowled up at him, hands still clutching the turtle shell. “Turn around.”
Aven let out a long sigh, spinning around and taking a seat so he was facing the ship. “This would be a lot easier if you didn’t insist on going so far away.”
There was a series of grunts and splashes as Saiyun failed to pull himself up on the shell. On the fourth try, he made it, dripping wet and clad only in a loincloth. "I'm not swimming half-naked where Ji, Yazwa, and everyone else can stare at me."
Aven sat silently as Saiyun dried himself off and re-dressed. “Can we go back now, or are you still indecent?”
“Mock me all you want,” Saiyun said with a sigh, reaching up to undo his hair. “Some of us have a mild sense of propriety.”
“Mild,” Aven snorted, spinning around to face him. “You’re getting better. If you fall overboard, you should be able to survive long enough for someone to throw you a line. If we stopped more often, you’d be doing even better.”
“Then isn’t there something we could do aboard ship?” grunted Saiyun, rubbing his stomach.
Aven shook his head. “If you want to strengthen your whole body, swimming is the best way to go. It uses every muscle. That and, you know, you live on a ship, so you should know how to swim.”
Saiyun grimaced, glancing at the ship in the distance. “I suppose I should thank my lucky stars that we stopped. Wait, why did we stop? There’s nothing here but a few barren rocks”
“Bill wanted to confirm our position. Winds have been bad for the last few weeks, so he can’t be sure of our speed,” Aven said, pointing to a rocky island. “He knows exactly where that point is on the map, so he can figure out where we are.”
Saiyun was quiet for a moment, staring at the ship. “Are we going to be late to…wherever it is we’re going?”
"You can't plan a ship's schedule down to the day. The wind is too fickle. So long as we show up within a week of when we agree to be there, everything should be fine.”
''I can’t believe I’m actually going to Adoti,” Saiyun said, wringing some water from his long hair. “Even after all this time, it feels unreal.”
“Why?” Aven asked. “You’ve been to Ortan and seen a wrecked treasure ship, what’s so unreal about Adoti?”
“Back…before all this happened,” Saiyun said, taking a deep breath. “When I was still at my post, half the cargo I checked in was from that city. I must have approved a thousand crates of musket balls and twice that of gunpowder. When I had idle moments, I’d wonder what such a place could be like, to produce such vast quantities of weapons.”
Aven shrugged. "It smells terrible, but other than that, it's not much different from any other city."
“You’ve been there?” Saiyun asked, turning to look at Aven.
“Couple times,” Aven said, looking up at the sky. “Usually when we were laying low, but sometimes Mom and I would do jobs there. It’s a rich city, lots of money and lots of secrets. Once we hid out on a roof for two days waiting for the coast to clear. Why are you looking at me like that?”
Saiyun turned his gaze to the water as the waves lapped at the turtle's sides. "No reason. Will it be as dangerous as the last place?"
“Doubt it. Adagnna is pretty stable” Aven said, flinching as a wave slapped the turtle and sent spray up in his face. “Mom told me it used to be a lot wilder. Different cities and territories rebelled against the Abdon family to break away or take over. Got real nasty until the Abdons came out on top.”
“Why did the Abdon win?” Saiyun asked. “What was different about them?”
“Why do you care?” asked Aven.
"If I am going to survive this trip, I must draw knowledge from many sources," Saiyun said, sitting up straight. "Their victory may hold some wisdom that I can use."
“They probably won for the same reason anyone wins. They acted first, they were more violent, or they just got lucky,” Aven said, counting off on his fingers. “I thought you said you didn’t want to fight.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“I still don’t. You and the rest of the crew have spent your whole lives learning the art of battle. If I tried to stand beside you, I would only die,” said Saiyun, squeezing his fists. “My mind and my summons are my only weapons; I must use them to their fullest.”
“Keep following my lead, and you’ll do just fine,” Aven grinned. “Once we sail into Adoti I’ll make sure you swim every day.”
“Thank you,” Saiyun said with a tilt of his head. “Why are we going to Adoti anyway? What have I signed on for? We’re well away from the ship. No one will hear you tell me something, and I can keep a secret.”
Aven raised an eyebrow. If Saiyun had been insisting on swimming so far away from the ship for a chance to talk secretly, he was way more cunning than Aven had given him credit for. “I’m in the dark too. All I know is that it has to do with Azun, and that whatever it is, it’s big.”
“How do you know it’s big?” Saiyun pressed. “Bill’s word?”
"My mother told me that it was important," Aven said, glancing at the water before meeting Saiyun’s eyes again. " Sailing that far east was a big risk too, only worth doing if there's a big payoff. But what really makes it convincing is that he went so far as to get a favor from Tsen."
“Tsen… He is definitely…formidable,” Saiyun frowned.
“Scary is the word you’re looking for,” replied Aven. “I never believed the stories until I saw him in action. He’s unreal.”
“I’ve never even heard of such a man. Is he that unique out here?” Saiyun frowned.
“All I know is that he has no friends and has pissed off twice as many people as Bill,” Aven replied. “You don’t survive making that many enemies and live as long as he has without being tough. Come on, let's get back to the ship. Ji’s waiting for me to take off her bandages.”
-
Ji knelt on the deck near the mainmast, taking deep breaths to control her excitement. Aven and Saiyun had returned from their swimming practice looking quite dry. After speaking with Cai, Aven went down below decks. Saiyun was nearby, reading one of the big books Bill had given him while he tended to the wet manuals. He glanced over at her and she turned her gaze away. They both needed to focus. She breathed in and breathed out slowly. Patience. Calm. Purpose.
"Are you ready to get those off?" Aven asked as he climbed above decks with his medicine chest in hand.
"Yes!" Ji chirped, tip of her tail drumming on the deck. She went red and waited for him to get closer before answering again. "Yes, I am ready."
Aven paused a few steps away. "Remember what I've been teaching you about being aware of your surroundings?"
Ji glanced over her shoulder, seeing nothing. "I am getting better at that, right?"
"Slowly," Aven said, sitting in front of her and setting the chest beside him. "If you maintain awareness even when things are calm you'll improve much faster."
"I will," Ji said, holding out both her bandaged arms. The wounds she suffered on her arms fighting the Korav were shallow, but there were many of them. Aven said that the best way to treat them was to completely wrap her forearms and immobilize her wrists so the skin on her arms wouldn't stretch too much. The stiff wrists had been an annoyance for the last few days, but it would be worth it if they healed faster. "Will they scar?"
"We'll see," Aven said, undoing the braces on her wrists and then carefully unwinding the bandages.
Ji winced as the cloth pulled away some of her scabs. They were long and narrow, criss-crossing her arms with dark red lines. She gently rolled her wrists, flexing out the stiffness. "Is this...good?"
Aven took her hand and pulled her closer to examine the largest scab. "Yes. No sign of infection. They'll fall off on their own in a few days. Just stay out of seawater and you should be fine. Let me put some salve on it just to be safe."
"Good, but will they scar?" Ji asked again, suddenly feeling an itch as the humid air hit her scabs.
After rummaging around in his chest for a moment Aven pulled out a little clay jar filled with green paste. "The smaller ones will, but they'll probably fade in the sun. Deeper ones might stick. Are you trying to outdo Batro or something?"
"Scars are the sign of a great warrior," Ji replied, holding completely still as Aven dabbed the salve on her scabs. "When we go back to my Monastery they'll be proof of our battle with the Korav."
Aven paused for a moment, brows knit. "When we go back?"
"Of course, you deserve some of the glory," Ji replied. "They'll tell the story of our duel with the Korav for generations. Just like they do with the tale of Elder Tanat and the Kaoven Dragon. Every year on its anniversary the Elders gather the whole temple into the main hall to hear it."
"I don't think I know that one," Aven said, gently dabbing the salve onto her scabs. "Tell me about it."
Ji paused when she realized it had been more than two years since she last heard that tale. It was one of the last times they had all been together. She thought back, remembering huddling close together with her friends in the great circular, fire-lit halls. The Elders stood at the high table, voices echoing off the stone walls. "In the midst of the Thousand Blades era, a terrible dragon laid claim to Lake Kaoven, destroying the towns on its shores and smashing any ship that tried to sail its waters. It was a terrible beast, with scales black as night and wings that carried it through the sky faster than the flight of an arrow. The local lords sent their Vao to kill the dragon, but it outfought the summons and hunted down the Vao that attacked him. A great bounty was put on the dragon, but none could claim its head. There's um...there's a lot more to this part, but I don't remember it very well."
"Then tell me the parts you remember," Aven, moving over to her other arm.
"Elder Tanat was one of the greatest Esgan's of the Thousand Blades Period," Ji said reverently. The Esgan of Channan Harbor had been awe-inspiring to behold, she could not imagine how powerful Elder Tanat must have been. "Those who had not been killed by the dragon left the shores of Kaoven Lake behind. People north and south of the lake starved, because no shipments of food could pass under the eye of the dragon. When hope was fading, Tanat arrived, riding the river south in his little boat. He met a lord, who promised him a position at court if he could slay the dragon. He met a merchant, who promised him a pile of money if he could slay the dragon. Tanat passed them by and sailed down the river until he met an old woman. She pleaded with him not to go, for all her family had been slain by the dragon and she did not wish to see yet another person killed. Tanat was moved by her kindness and swore to make the lake safe again."
"I would have taken the money," Aven said with a raised eyebrow.
"He was an Esgan," Ji replied. "They do not care for such things."
"Done, rest your arms on your legs, don't smear any of the salve until it dries," he said, putting the cover back on the little clay jar. "What happened next?"
"Tanat was patient," Ji replied, slowly lowering his arms. "He observed the dragon from the lake to learn its habits. He tracked down people who survived the dragon attacks and learned that it breathed lightning, not fire and that it would sleep for days on a tiny island in the middle of the lake. Armed with this knowledge, he prepared himself for battle and waited until a great storm blew in from the south with towering black clouds lit by flashes of lightning. As the winds began to howl, Tanat shouted a challenge from the lake shore. The dragon flew at him in a rage, blasting lightning from its mouth. Tanat batted the lightning aside with his bare hands and leapt into the sky to do battle. They fought for a night and a day, even when Tanat could only see the dragon in brief flashes of lightning. As dawn broke the exhausted dragon made a desperate dive out of the clouds to strike down Tanat. Barely avoiding its gaping jaws, Tanat landed a hard blow on the dragon's wing and broke it. The creature shrieked and plummeted from the sky, falling to its death on the ground below. With the deed done, Tanat returned to his boat and sailed south again."
"And he didn't get any kind of reward?" Aven asked, squinting. "He could have at least collected the bounty."
"It's always like that in the stories," Ji huffed. "Elder Liten tells it a lot better than I do. There's a drum,and he adds a lot more details. He's the best storyteller at the Monastery. He can recite hundreds just from memory."
Aven cocked his head to one side and grinned. "Do people get rewards in any of his stories?"
"I told you, they're all like that," replied Ji. "Every year when he'd tell that one, Kaeyi, Vakao and I would go play it out on this old tree that overlooked the grounds. We always fought over who would play the dragon and who would play Tanat."
"Did you win?" Aven asked, packing up his medicine chest.
"Of course. I'm the best in our year," she said, lifting up her arms to look at the streaks of salve. "With these scars and our story Elder Liten will have a new tale to tell."
Aven clicked the lid shut. "It's not that impressive, is it? I mean, it's not a battle with a dragon that lasted a day and a night. We ran away."
"It was a Korav," Ji insisted. "They can kill an Esgan in a one on one fight. We traded blows and survived. That's a great story! Elder Liten will have whole verses about you after I introduce you."
"You know...." Aven said slowly, picking up the chest and getting to his feet. "You know I probably wouldn't be welcome at your Monastery, right?"
"Of course you would," Ji frowned. "Anyone who fights side by side with an acolyte of the Lujin Monastery is welcome in our halls."
"Ji, I'm a thief and a pirate," said Aven as he worked on her other arm. "So is everyone else. Well, except for Yazwa and Saiyun. Does anything we’re doing sound like it would make it into one of his tales?”
Ji blinked, glancing down at the deckboards between them. As she thought it over, she realized he was right. Stealing was severely punished back home. Pirates were who young acolytes were sent out into the world to fight. There weren’t any stories with fighting pits or pillaging wrecked ships. "Well...if I explain..."
"Is it even a good idea to tell them what you've been up to?" Aven asked as he wiped his fingers off on his pants and covered up the jar. "I mean, I know the Esgan told you to come with us, but how will they react if you tell them you set sail with Headless Bill?"
It made sense. Everything Aven was saying made sense. But the picture had been so vivid in her mind. Returning home with scars and stories to make the elders proud. Introducing Aven to Kaeyi and Vakao. Sitting at the high table together while Elder Liten sang about their duel with a Korav in the bowels of the black ship. The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous it was.
But she still wanted it to be true.