Haven sailed three days to intersect a shipping lane. The weather had a charge and the sails flapped in the lagging wind. The slack was taken in. The men worked their duties with practiced ease.
Cousin stood the crow, reaching out with her expanded perception. She felt four ships within a day’s distance, two merchant ships, one government ship and Drake. She smiled and called down her report. A wave of anticipation flowed over Haven. Kraken motioned for her to descend, and she joined him at the helm.
“Anything particular about our choices?”
“One merch is smallish, goods are mostly textile and food stuffs. The other is larger, high end items and slaves, both working and to be sold. The government is from Le’An, slaves, weapons, money. It’s a very rich target. Large about three hundred souls counting the slaves. Drake? He’s got Jones Bone on board and a belly full of hate. He’s out for blood.”
Kraken looked at Gabb and Kor. “Ideas?”
“Directions?” Gabb asked.
Cousin wrinkled her nose and Serpent Shadows surged in her eyes. “Drake is headed for the large merch. They are a day ahead. The Le’An is a day behind and bearing toward us.”
“Could do both,” Kor said. “Le’An first. Drake in a day or two. After he’s taken the merch.”
Kraken nodded. “Let’s give ourselves away. Gabb you’re up.”
“Aye, Captain.” Gabb gave orders to hoist sails, and bring the ship about. He called general quarters and took hold of the counter currents to push Haven toward their target at an advanced speed.
One by one the crew came on deck in their blacks. Each took great care with their weapons. Cannons and cannon balls were readied.
Cousin wrote a rune on each cannon ball. She smiled in her work. The Le’an ship would be three times their size. These runes wouldn’t sink, but rather inspire fear, freeze muscles, disintegrate weapons, and trap the enemy. The freed slaves would need a way to continue.
Kraken stood easy next to Gabb at the helm. He watched the excitement build among the crew. Enjoyed the feel of the current pushing Haven. The black staff rested on his shoulder, gleaming satin black. It pulsed with the building energy of the crew.
Time passed.
Bry called a sighting from the crow. Le’An ship straight on.
Cousin stood next to Kraken. He smiled a deranged smile. “Missed this did you?” she asked.
Kraken’s smiled widened. He jumped the rail and ran to the forward cannons.
“Guess that’s a yes,” Gabb said.
“You good? You’ve pushed for hours.”
“Fine,” Gabb said. “Jak brought me some meat.” Gabb looked at Cousin. His eyes twinkled.
“Ha. Ha.” Cousin ran a hand over Gabb’s arm as she walked away.
A tingle ran up his arm and through his body. “Better than food,” Gabb said to the blowing wind.
Cousin walked around to each man. She let her perception inform her of their state, the charms, the weapons, the readiness. When she got to Kraken he was plunging the last cannon. Watching him, Cousin remembered the feel of the first raid she had been apart of.
Kraken jumped over the cannon and grabbed her up in a twirling hug. “Ready?” he asked, his breath on her neck.
Cousin nipped his ear. “Yes.”
A cannon report and a splash off port bow brought Cousin back to the moment.
Kraken sat her down, and went the railing.
Cousin opened her perception. “Al’Ri wielders, five, one master, and delegation. A round contingent of Le’An soldiers. Assorted bureaucrats, Le’An wielders, servants, and slaves. And Ke’less.” Cousin turned to look at Kor. He stood next to Gabb at the helm. “We should tell him.”
Kraken looked back at Kor. “He knows. Most likely knew when he suggested hitting this ship first.” Kraken looked back at Cousin. “Will that stasis spell you made for Protector’s island still work?”
Cousin smiled and nodded once.
A cannon ball hit the ocean a hundred yards short.
“Ghost!”
“Aye, Captain,” Ghost said melting from the shadow of the figurehead.
“Pass the word. Use the stasis spell when able. Let’s see what their best can do against it. Otherwise, every man to his own judgment.”
“Aye, Captain.” Ghost flowed away a smile on his face.
A cannon ball hit the outer ward of Haven and fell to the ocean with a plunk. Spells were fired one after the other.
“With your leave, Captain,” Cousin said.
Kraken smiled, blew her a kiss and his eyes deepened to swirling nebulas. “Aye.”
Cousin floated to stand on the figurehead. She pulled the attacking spells to her, reaching for the individual signatures. Each one informing her of its wielder. Each a reflection of how power and energy were used. Each adding to her own interaction with the Ether.
The ships closed distance.
Haven fired forward cannons impacting the other ship’s forward momentum.
Gabb maneuvered Haven to a broadside alignment. Haven’s port cannons fired, once, twice, three times before the Le’An could respond.
Kraken reached out with his power, and disabled the other’s cannons. The Le’An wielders rounded on him and engaged.
Grapples were thrown and boarders traded ships. Kor led ten to the Le’An ship. The rest gave defense of Haven.
Cousin watched her family fight. She had the idea that being out numbered and out gunned was their favorite part. She engaged the Le’An soldiers boarding Haven.
The Sor-von sang with Cousin’s movements. Her body warmed and trilled to the dance. She became a wall the soldiers broke against. And never did she loose sight of anything that happened.
Kraken played with wielders, feeling them out and enjoying the contest.
Gabb used his enchanted hatchets to freeze as often as to kill.
Ghost flowed back and forth from one ship to the other through the shadows. Those he disabled or felled never saw what happened.
Bry, still in the crow, shot arrows from a never ending quiver.
Jak stood with Nickel protecting the way to the cabins.
The rest on the Le’An ship broke into three parties. One engaged their defenders. Another headed to the hold to free the slaves. And Kor fought his way to Ke’less.
The Al’Ri Master watched. She had refused to let her people participate. If the Le’An could not defeat sixteen men then they were not worthy allies. More than that she wanted to see the extent of Cousin’s power.
The Le’An used their fighters recklessly. In thirty minutes most of the fighting had died down.
Cousin joined Kor in a hallway on the Le’An ship. He glared at a closed door.
“Have you tried knocking?” Cousin asked.
“Polite and all,” Kor said.
“Ghost go in?”
“Can’t. Too much light on the other side.”
“He in there?”
“With the Al’Ri if that one can be believed.” Kor pointed to the dead man against the wall.
“Shall I knock?”
“Polite and all.”
Cousin stretched out her Sor-von covered hand and knocked. Three light raps on the warded door. It fell into splinters. “Age before beauty,” she said with a bow.
“And don’t you forget it, missy.”
Kor stepped into the room with Cousin behind. Four spells hit him and fed his charm. He took his time looking around the large state room. Lavish comfort and expensive decor of magic molded furniture was lit by two large crystal chandeliers, each crystal alight from within. Kor snorted.
Ke’less sat on the end of the large table, his legs cross. Two wielders stood on either side of him. “Kor’less, you’ve come home.”
Kor leaned to Cousin. “Fettered?”
“No.”
Cousin had to use her expanded perception to follow Kor’s movements. Using the energy from his charm, he moved faster than sight, killed the wielders and buried his old knife into Ke’less’ heart. When he stood at Cousin’s side again, he held out a talisman dangling from a golden chain.
Ke’less saw it. His dying expression was confusion and surprise.
“Missy, do this old man a favor and turn that lump to vapor.”
Cousin nodded and Ke’less’ body was gone.
Kor nodded and turned to leave. An Al’Ri blocked his way. “I’m tired,” Kor said. “I’ll sit this one out.” He sat down on the floor, and closed his eyes.
“As you wish,” Cousin said, affection clear on her face.
The Al’Ri blocking the door threw a containment spell at Kor. It fed his charm. The wielder drew his hand back to hurtle a stronger spell.
“Enough,” said a child like voice. The Master, a woman similar to Cousin in appearance, walked forward. “Sometimes I think we never learn,” she said shaking her head.
Cousin waited. She hadn’t lost sight of them during Kor’s slaughter. She knew they would wait.
“Can we speak,” the Master said.
“Parley.”
“Oh, Couisn. Nothing so formal. I wish to speak of family.”
“Go ahead, Aunt Er’Ranta.” Cousin felt Kor shift in his position.
“You know me? Of course, you do. You can feel your mother’s power in me. See the resemblance.” She shook her head. “Very well, it will make my request easier for you to understand, to believe, or at least,” she spread her hands, “easier to see my point of view. Please, come home to you true family. Your birth family. Let us teach you. Let us help you to discover your Depth. Help you learn to control your vast power.”
Cousin smiled a Death Smile. “Vast. Interesting word.”
“Our spies on Protector’s island gave . . . sparse reports of your talents. We know Protector is no more. We know you did not take any of his power or fetters for yourself. We know also that the book and staff are on your tiny ship.”
Kor snorted.
“Mind your manners, pirate,” another female Al’Ri said.
“Yeah, yeah,” Kor said dismissing the whole with a wave of his hand. “Empowered, blah, blah.”
“Niece, will you discipline your man or must I?”
Kor snorted again.
“He out ranks me,” Cousin said with a shrug.
“Out ranks?” The open disbelief on Er’Ranta’s face held. She blinked several times before she could bring her mind back to focus.
Cousin used the opening to plunder the other’s mind. Memory and plan were clear. She learned all she needed in a single unguarded blink.
“You jest,” Er’Ranta said. “No one of your power bends to lesser creatures.”
Cousin looked at Kor. He wasn’t really listening any more. “I’ll admit he can get a bit rank when he refuses to bathe. Other than that?” Cousin shrugged again, a large grin on her face at the glare Kor shot her.
“You’re playing. You think we are so easily distracted?”
“You asked for this Parley. Yet, you haven’t said anything except what you know I will refuse. I’ve made my position clear. Are we finished?”
“No. You have confronted Hunters, dealt with Protector, and fought mid to low level wielders. You have never faced a Master.”
Cousin dropped her shields, and invited Er’Ranta to look into her core.
Er’Ranta could feel the nearing of her goals. She let herself gaze from a guarded position. She sucked in a deep breath, held it, then screamed.
“My mother came to you, her sister, for help when her child was taken by force. She was wounded. Emotionally broken with grief. You promised to make her powerful enough to reclaim the child lost. When she opened to you – in complete trust – you consumed her Depth. You left her a husk. You let her serve you until her death three months later. You left her a walking hollow. Empty.” Cousin spoke through the on going scream. “A Master? You are filth. I should let you live.”
Er’Ranta fell to her knees gasping, her eyes squeezed shut. She fought to isolate herself from Cousin. Her attendants rushed to her side. Four angry glares took in Cousin’s relaxed stance.
“I long to rip all traces of my mother from you. What good would it do? It won’t stop the Masters from coming for me or mine.”
“I am yours,” Er’Ranta said.
“No.”
“Des -”
“Don’t call me that.” The room vibrated with the force behind Cousin’s words.
Er’Ranta cringed. The other Al’Ri shuttered.
Cousin could feel the Al’Ri readying to support their Master. She could feel their confusion. Though none of them could challenge her, she knew Er’Ranta was not the most powerful Master. She weighed her options. “Quartermaster?” Cousin said.
“What do you want, missy?”
“Ideas?”
“I’m in the kill frame of mind. Not the right person to ask.” Kor stood. “Whatever it will be, do it. I’m tired of waiting.”
Cousin’s eyes got darker and deeper. “I am giving you a chance to live. The message is the same. Leave me be. Leave my family be. And I will leave you be.”
A breeze washed through the room. The Al’Ri were gone.
“What did you do?” Kor asked.
“Sent then to the Ancestor’s Shrine.” Cousin turned and walked out.
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