We missed the best tide to depart but the Isa was ready to go by the mid tide, so our planned departure day wasnt thrown off yet again. Captain Darius had planned to address the crew that morning but had decided to wait until after we were at sea to make sure we t our ti objective.
While the crew rushed about getting the very last of the last things ready, I had the distinct displeasure of doing nothing.
Abso-bloody-lutely nothing!
Never had I set sail and not been involved in so manner. Not even when I was a tyke on my first voyage had I been useless. But here, under the infinite wisdom of his majestys navy, I found myself staring aft, listening idly to the helmsman and Captain as they did real sailor work.
I could try helping, but the Isa was fully staffed even if it was with the dregs. Experience had taught that trying to give directions didnt sit well with the n, even ignoring Lockwoods gas. Or perhaps because of them. Not everyone was inside the second mates circle of influence, but those outside it had no intention of crossing him.
My eyes were drawn to a barge we passed. They had boxed crates, ropes and stones for cargo, and were using various lengths of rope to connect the stones to the crates before gently lowering them over the side to sink to the bottom. Curious, I pulled out a spyglass to get a better look but couldnt ascertain any more details than what was perfectly clear at first glance.
Marvelous, arent they? Captain Darius called to . I lowered my spyglass and quirked a questioning eyebrow at him. He left the helmsman for a mont to join , gesturing at the barge and its cargo. The brainchild of our runesmiths and enchanters, though the college will get the credit in the end. I feel proud to have even indirectly influenced their design.
What are they?
A safety asure. Darius explained. Donic Seaborn travels beneath the waves and can attack ships from below. It is a strategic asset that has no equal if we had one ship in the fleet capable of such things we would rule the world! We tried various counterasures against him but it was thought that none were truly effective and all were non-standard, cumberso thods.
I thought the navy had Seaborn on the run? It felt weird to refer to myself in the third person.
Sure we chased him across the Broken Isles, from one burned ship or town to the next. Darius face darkened. The one opportunity we really had to pin him down he managed to sabotage my ship and slip away. It was the only ti the task force ca close.
Oh, father. If you only knew how your pursuit harried .
We found out later through the Voice of the Crew that our strikes had
Voice of the Crew? I asked. I knew that term it was one of the status effects of my ship but why was Darius referencing it?
Yeah, those letters and journals that Seaborn let the crew ship off. So were very well written, and the best of those made reference to the Voice of the Crew that the blasted ship has. A scholar picked out the na and slapped it on the cover of the book they made by compiling the best letters. Voice of the Crew has beco the term for those letters and journals. Have you read any of them?
No, I said. Ive only heard of it.
He leaned into conspiratorially. If it was more widely known that the primary letter that inspired the na and started the whole thing was written by an elf, I guarantee it wouldnt have the kind of support it does.
An elf oh, Rhistel. Of course you would be the one capable of putting everything into words.
It has support? I asked, anxious to hear the perspective of a man whod been fighting the opposite side.
More than it deserves, and thats all I care to say at the mont. He pointed at the barge as it slipped further away. We were talking about how were evening the battlefield. The Deaths Consort isnt an immortal ship, it just cant be sunk conventionally. It has to be destroyed. Its difficult to do that when it can move three dinsionally. The goal of those boxes is to either force Seaborn to fight on the surface or blow holes in his ship if he insists on staying below. We call them naval mines.
Naval mines, I said quietly. Id long wondered how military ingenuity would counter my advantage. These hardly made a level playing field, but they were a solid defensive asure. I couldnt sail the Deaths Consort straight up to the docks and ship cradles and lay waste to them. The mines were far enough out that only Sadeo could have hit his targets if we stayed outside of them. If we surfaced to enter the ring, we entered a pen. Any retaliating forces would be able to strike at us as we surfaced when we hopped back out again.
An imperfect defense, but a solid plan. An annoying plan. Id have preferred my enemies let have my overwhelming advantage as overwhelming as a carrack could be, anyway.
They must be expensive to manufacture, I said. How many can be put out?
Your tutelage doesnt seem to have touched on artificers. They were a difficult design to research; blending sensitivity and power with stability and longevity. However, once the blueprints were created refinents were quickly made are still being made! Many of the kings artisans dedicated to making ship weaponry and runes were repurposed but this is just to create more applicable weapons for this day and age. These can be made by the dozens and are being implented at sensitive naval sites. With a few thousand the Broken Isles will have protected shipping lanes once more!
Thousands now that was a scary thought. Still, if those thousand were made using similar cost-effective asures like they were using here, I could already think of a way to turn them to my advantage.
I can see you appreciate the strategic importance. Join in my cabin this evening, Ill tell you more about how they were produced.
Yes sir, I said, recognizing in the offer both the incredible opportunity to learn more about naval tactics from an expert and the dangerous ga of my father subconsciously sounding out my reliability and motives.
Darius returned to the helmsmans side. While we navigated out and around the shoal waters, he was the consummate Captain, even to my dedicated observation. He was commanding: firm but with an easy manner. His tailored naval uniform looked sharp on him with its austerity. He forewent the tricorne hat, and yet through so magic his hair wasnt swept into a wind tossed ss. He was noble, implacable.
It wasnt until I turned my gaze to others that I saw cracks.
If Darius was as inspiring as he appeared to be, why did Billings still have downcast eyes? His uniform had several large dals, yet the ensemble looked like hed rolled out of bed in it. Surely the first mate would have a bit more pep in his step, with his Captain on board? Or at least the terror of authority ought to have convinced him to make an effort?
If Darius was such a firm yet gentle hand, why did Lockwood appear to be biding his ti? The second mate had a uniform that contrasted with the firsts like day did to night, yet the glances he gave the Captain and significant nods he gave to his toughs made think of a prowler waiting for his chance.
It made think of Burdette. Up until that mont, Lockwood had been an annoying bully. My grievances against him had been on behalf of Gerald. Once I tied his face to my mories of my traitorous first mate, however, Lockwood earned himself a fraction of the hatred I held towards Burdette.
The n did their work, and a few put their hearts into it with the Captain on deck. More just went through the motions. With them, I was less inclined to fault any flaw in leadership and instead bla the kind of n whod been reassigned to the Isa. Still, with every mistake I noticed, I found myself watching to see which of the officers noticed as well, and whether they did anything.
Billings was predictable; he did nothing. Lockwood would give correction: the form of it varied based on whether that person had his favor. Those that didnt received verbal abuse that I wouldnt have discouraged by itself I had a foul mouth of my own sotis and have seen my share of mishaps at sea but the way he was blatantly playing favorites bred anger. A crew could bond if they all received the rough side of soones tongue. These n wouldnt.
It was only when observing all this that Captain Darius flaws began to show. The n he appointed under him were steadily undermining him and he surprised by doing the sa as his first mate: nothing. He stood on the quarterdeck looking noble and statuesque alright, but if he didnt get out of his own head and do sothing with the skills he had his crew wouldnt wind up any better than mine had!
Okay, that was an exaggeration. My crew had gotten it bad, and I wasnt in a position to judge. At least, not as a Captain. As a lost son, I claid full rights to judge my father.
Once again, I found myself hoping that he would fix everything. I wanted to see that he knew what he was doing, that he could inspire his n and lead them to gloriousness. Why did I want that? Was it as simple as wanting one of the Captains whod pursued to be the very best, so I could feel better about my lost n and narrow escapes? Was I hoping that sohow, he would inspire ?
Was I wanting him to be the perfect Captain, so I could demand to know why hed been such an abysmal father?
Once safely at sea a good distance from any potential obstacles or hazards, Darius cast a communication spell to soone on the mainland, where he let them know his course and position. Then he had the crew muster on deck in ranks and addressed them.
n, I am proud to serve on board the Isa alongside such fine and proven n as you. You have all displayed your loyalty and devotion to the crown and your fellows, and earned the right to be here.
I dubiously looked around, and I wasnt the only one. It sounded like the Captain had repurposed the speech he must have given to the Athairs crew, because these werent those n. Perhaps this was a thod of speaking to their potential?
I will keep this brief; the Isa is not a normal ship, and we will not have a normal mission. Im sure you all saw the orc that was brought on board. That orc is a prisoner of war. Our own enchanters lack the numbers and skill to et the needs of warti production. The orc is one of many that have been captured for the purpose of making weapons to turn against their own kind! We set sail with only a few enchanted munitions for our own defense, but with a hold full of potential. By the ti we rendezvous with our first fleet, we will be stocked full of munitions to resupply our allies!
That got a cheer, ragged because of the few imdiate and bloodthirsty shouts followed by those who realized they ought to cheer a second too late.
The Isa is too valuable to be risked on the skirmish lines of our naval battles, but she will go down in history as the ship that pushed the tide of war forward! Rally to the cause, n! We sail!
That speech ending was clear enough that the n knew they were to cheer, and they did. Darius turned to Billings and told him to dismiss the n and resu operations. Billings saluted, and as the Captain went to his cabin the first mate turned to Lockwood and ordered him to take charge. Lockwood saluted and yelled out orders.
I didnt pay much attention to their silliness. While Captain Darius speech sounded like it should be inspiring, Id seen how it had seed to break him down rather than bolster him. Hed hit all the right notes, said all the right words no doubt leaning on his leadership skill levels yet he didnt believe them. The noble Captain left his podium a noble disgraced.
And because I was watching, just before his cabin door swung closed I saw the bottle of liquor he pulled out to deal with his problems.
That evening, Darius hosted the officers ss which was to say the special dining the officers of the ship did away from the enlisted n. I knew it was a thing mostly because I knew Gerald put extra work into the food that went to these n. I hadnt participated much aboard the Carpathia, both because of the hours I kept swapping duties with Frederick and the fact that Captain Graves hadnt hosted a regular nightly ss.
Id heard the argunts for it, but personally thought it looked like an unnecessary show of elitism. Again, I reminded myself I hadnt a leg to stand on when it ca to critiquing such things and tried to learn from the naval tradition that surely ant sothing to still be in practice.
The ss was a gentlemans affair: that is to say, it was session of subtle politicking and backstabbing masked by smiles and fine manners while hosted by Darius. The Captain did not seem to either discourage or participate in the ga itself, but instead watched it all like an impartial judge of each match.
Lockwood was, of course, the winning participant. Billings scarcely defended himself, though he did co out of his shell to say more words than Id yet heard from him. Bosun was the one who gave Lockwood the most sport, though he tried too hard for being out of his depth.
The single occasion Lockwood tried to bait was blessedly short.
So, our esteed second mage, I hear you have a fondness for steel weapons?
Having seen how Lockwood maneuvered, I suspected he was going to pull apart as a weak mage for focusing on martial prowess then ask after my fighting levels and tsk at whatever they were as well.
I like one handed weapons, I said as I ignored proper manners and used my fork and knife sensibly to tear my al apart like the utter barbarian I was. It leaves my other hand free for rude gestures. I even gave him a demonstration.
There were guffaws around the table, and if the Captain didnt call out my rude table manners the others werent going to do any worse than look down their noses at .
When the al ended each officer asked Darius for permission to be excused for one task or another until it was only left behind. My father looked at sideways.
Youre not going to excuse yourself?
I dont have any pretense of better things to be doing, and you did invite to spend ti with you this evening.
He snorted. The last junior officers in the navy with such manners had the starch wrung out of them. Co on. Lets let the scullery lads clear the table.
We moved from the dining room to the Captains quarters, which were adjacent. There he unbuttoned his coat, set it on the back of chair, and pulled out a half-empty bottle of liquor and two glasses.
Those bloody insufferable n can get on the nerves, sotis.
Maybe he was trying to push my sympathy, as I had obviously thought the others were bloody insufferable. Rather than agree with him, I asked Why didnt you stop it?
You see Dom, its like a ga with them. He explained while relaxing with his drink. Give them an outlet to play, and they can compete in a setting I choose. Let them run wild, and theyll be making issues in their attempts to curry my favor.
Arent they running wild? I asked. Do you see the kinds of things theyre doing?
Darius my father gave a very dark look. Go on do tell all about what my own officers are doing.
His tone said that under no circumstances was I to say another word on it. I didnt.
Tell of the team you led while an adventurer, he said suddenly, his voice lighter.
I wouldnt say I was a team lead. I replied.
Oh, but I can see you hunting for that edge that thing that sets a true leader apart. Youre not a natural leader at least not the charismatic kind. Youre more of a teacher the friendly ntor, am I right?
I reluctantly nodded.
Yes, I noticed that. But during so circumstance you found yourself trying to fill the position of a charismatic leader and you dont feel you did a good job, so youre looking for so trick that you can learn to change everything. Tell if Im getting warm?
I chewed my cheek as I looked away. I couldnt make up a blatant lie on the fly without getting caught in it eventually, but it was easy enough to couch a deception in truth. Id done it to Hali on our last encounter, and she was a trained spy.
I wasnt put in charge of an adventurer team. It was actually before my adventuring days. But yes I found myself in a leadership position, and in the end I found myself wanting.
Just you, or your n too?
I wouldnt say that they were satisfied.
He shrugged. That rules out the easy answer. If your n were happy and you were successful, its easy to address concerns about being a leader. He threw back the rest of his drink, the honey-colored liquid disappearing down his throat. He sighed in appreciation. A short ti ago I might have even tried to work through an answer with you. I thought I knew it all. Turns out, he poured himself another glass. That even a lifeti of success cant balance out a single mistake, and two mistakes will find you relegated to a dump to spend the rest of your life staying out of trouble.
Oh.
Oh.
This could explain a lot
I covered my thoughts with a mock toast of my own glass. Heres to obscure dumps and staying out of trouble.
He snorted. Stars, I wouldnt have thought we could have a similar mannerism without even having seen each other before yesterday.
I suppose I could drink to that. Dom, if I had to give you any advice, Id say try not to lose out on that desire to know more the push to move forward. Cant claim it worked out for in the end, but I gave that advice to a lot of junior officers and a good number of them turned out alright.
Id settle for turning out alright, I said, sipping my drink and thanking the stars Darius didnt go in for grog or any of that other nasty stuff. If you were going to have a drink, liquor like this was the way to go.
There was no way I picked up that kind of thinking from him, so was it genetics or chance that aligned our drinking tastes?
Have the others told you the stories of my previous assignnts?
I deliberated on my answer for a mont. Ive heard that you were on a prestigious assignnt. I heard sothing went wrong.
And thats all you heard? he asked sharply.
I doubt you wish to dive into rumors and I wouldnt have any tact to repeat them when the person who really knows what happened is right here.
He accepted that. Id be amazed if anyone knew the whole story. I havent even shared the whole thing with anyone, yet. Ill give you an overview.
A few months ago I was at court when the quest about Seaborn was given to the king. I was brought into the council deliberating how the quest should be handled, and then given command of a ship with a special assignnt. I dont know what youve heard about Seaborn, but even though he is Davy Jones lieutenant his power cos from a curse Jones placed on him. That curse gave Jones power over him, but also allowed him to enable Seaborn to create his dreaded ship.
The thing about curses, its just another form of magic. Harder to deal with than the basic magics, much more nebulous and risky, but there are cures and counterasures for it. Soone a long ti ago had theorized of a thod to constrain Davy Jones, and our experts theorized it could work for Seaborn. My ship was tasked with transporting a ritualist capable of trying.
You were on the task force hunting Seaborn.
Thats right. Whenever he used the power he got from Jones, he threw up a beacon at his location. It took our experts only a short ti to realize that he was off the coast of Andros, and we theorized he was near Tulisang.
The thing was, we were scared of how much magic he was using. So people postulated that he was raising a fleet of his own from the sunken ships there, and was going to conquer the ocean starting in the southeast quadrant. The confederacy wasnt fully established in those days, but if Seaborn had done that it would have destroyed any hope of the primary nations assisting each other. In a way, Seaborn galvanized the Confederacy together.
One man, I asked, having to clear my throat. One man forced the war to escalate like that?
I wouldnt say that. The war was dood to escalate. The question was whether it would be between a dozen vying nations or two powerful blocs. Seaborn just simplified things for the humans.
I see. I needed another glass.
We coordinated with Oorkom to staff and repurpose the Erald from monster hunting and she ford the backbone of our task force. My ship sailed with her to Tulisang. It wasnt known at the ti that Seaborn could walk on land, he only chooses to plague the sea. He escaped our net. The ship he escaped on eventually beca the cursed Deaths Consort. None of that matters, though. My father took a stiff drink. While I was in Tulisang I received a suspicious quest notification. Being a loyal Captain, I reported it to my superiors. That quest ruined my life.
Ruined your life? I said, feigning ignorance. I knew he must have gotten the sa Sins of the Father, Sins of the Son quest that I had that day. How?
That doesnt matter, he said. It dredged up so unpleasant business at court. My career as a naval Captain has been distinguished and honorable, but as a much younger man I made a mistake. The quest dredged it up to haunt again.
My blood spiked. Yes, his one mistake. A lusty teenager paying for a farm girl forced into prostitution. Then leaving her behind in the gutter pregnant, a young boy soon to co into the world. Surely no one could fault him for that one, teeny little thing!
Do I haunt you now, father? The specter of your absence haunted and mother for years!
That thats too bad.
He huffed at my la understatent. It certainly was. At the ti, I thought I could own up to it and volunteered to rectify my mistake.
Rectify it?
Im not going to share the details of my personal quest with you, Dom. Suffice to say my mistake was a blight on both the kingdom and my honor and I swore to remove it.
Cold, father. Your son embarrasses you so killing him would make it all go away?
My honesty about the quest and oath to pursue its completion convinced his majesty to have remain on the task force. I followed Seaborn around the sea before we finally, finally pinned him down in the Broken Isles. I thought that was it. The ritualist on my ship knew what she was doing, and as long as we stayed close enough to Seaborn we could force him to stay on the surface, force him to take his damage like a man!
Darius wrung his glass in his hands like he was imagining wringing Seaborns neck. My neck. Our task force was prestigious, yes. But we were also only a small collection of ships in a major war effort. The elves and the Madu, the orcs they all demanded ships and supplies be allocated elsewhere. If only my ship had been better staffed, I could have dealt with him! I could have! But he sabotaged . Fouled my rudder and a team of his ambushed my n as they tried to fix it. My ritualist did the best she could, but Seaborn was able to get enough distance that he could subrge.
The Erald had staffing issues to they tried to make up the difference with a necromancer and his minions, but that failed. Was Admiral Michaels punished for his failure? No! But because I had this bloody quest hanging over , it ant that I was compromised and unable to fulfill my duty. I was relieved of my command. Relieved of it! So that part of the rumors youve heard is true, at least.
They knew they couldnt just sideline , however. They need Captains with my abilities too badly. So, I was given this command. The Isa pushing the tide of war forward. He snorted and offered the last finger of alcohol in the bottle, which I declined. He polished it off himself. On paper, the assignnt is prestigious enough they were able to couch my commission in flowery terms, but Im being punished just like you. Just like Billings and Lockwood and most of the other sods on this ship. Its true that the orc can produce enchanted goods he can do it better than any human enchanter Ive t. But the Isa is a stopgap asure in a logistics problem. A loyal enchanter would never be put into harms way like this.
But youre doing so good to the war effort.
So good Dom, I was in line for an admiralship if I stayed at sea. If I decided to spend more ti at court, Id have been welcod as a hero. This war was to be my mont to break through the threshold! Now Im doing so good. Would you be satisfied with that?
Maybe, I said. I think thats always what Ive tried to do. Ive never had the head for long-term strategy, but Ive tried to improve whats around .
A tacticians nightmare, Darius joked. n doing good things rather than what they need to be doing. Tell how thats worked out for you? No, better yet wait until youve got so gray in your hair and tell how many have died because you wanted to do so good.
I set my glass on his desk. Theres already a body count, sir. I stood. Captain, if I may be excused, I need to see to my duties as second mage.
He eyed and the glass Id set down, but eventually waved away. I left him alone to his self-misery and the next bottle I was sure he would find.
Rather than unpack all the emotions my father had unknowingly churned up, I found myself heading below decks to the improvised prison Jorgagu was held in. The huge, tusked enchanter had a handful of ballistae bolts in his lap when I entered.
Jorgagu, I greeted him.
He looked at , sniffed, rumbled out a growl and went back to focusing on his bolts.
Im interested in talking. Im interested in hearing your story.
He looked up at and said a stream of words in a growling, guttural language.
So yeah, Ive heard all about how you are this one-person production line for enchanted weapons. There isnt any way that theyd let you make just anything you wanted. They have to communicate with you. So, I know you understand .
He heaved a big sigh before looking up at . Stubborn. He said. His voice was just as powerful in my tongue as in his. Speak of weapons. Speak of enchanting. Speak of different things, and you must speak orcish.
I you want to learn orcish? He looked at and smirked. Okay. Thats fair. Do you know if humans even can, though? What you said earlier sounds like itd rip my throat apart.
He might not have understood everything I said, but he understood what I ant. It was easier to recognize and interpret words than it was to co up with the words yourself. He laughed at my nervousness. Humans speak orcish when humans want it enough!
I shrugged and crossed my legs to sit with him. Well, Ill put the work into learning if you teach .
He looked at strangely, like I was a goblin that had suddenly sprouted tusks longer than his. I realized that no one had ever agreed to learn his language in order to speak with him. The human tongue was the standard one on the seas, so Id only ever picked up a few phrases of different languages (primarily their curse words) in my life, but I didnt object to trying to learn.
I was also very, very interested in what it ant to be an enchanter, this orcs story, and what his opinions on Donic Seaborn were
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