Slaughter Fish rolled in the waves of an approaching storm.  Cousin looked out of the porthole window in the cabin she had been given.  She played with the five gold coins she won from Butcher.  He had to admit that roasted meat was always better than boiled.

Cousin let the coins fall, clinking, from one hand to the other.  The storm gathered fury on the distance.  She could feel the urgency on the charged air.  Cousin also felt the power of three wielders outside her door.

The door opened just before the knock came.  Vermit’s hand flowed through the empty space in slow motion.  He blinked, then stepped forward.  “Begging your pardon, miss.  This here is Sher ra,” Vermit said pointing to a woman with a large scar across one cheek.  “This is Cork,” he said pointing to a young man with blond hair.  “And this is Allen,” he said pointing to an elderly man holding a staff inlaid with golden glyphs.

“Be gone, vermin,” Allen said.  “This is empowered business.”

“Mind your manners, wielder,” Cousin said.  “Vermit saved the life of every soul on this ship.  You are out of line.”

Allen sniffed.  “I meant no disrespect, Des -” Allen’s mouth kept moving.  No sound came out.

“Vermit, does Butcher know these are here?”

“Aye, miss.  He did warn them.  Said they were responsible for themselves.  Said I should make clear, they don’t speak for the crew or the ship or the Cap.”

Cousin nodded.  “Agreed.”

Vermit nodded and left.

Cousin looked from one to the others.  “Cork ask your questions.”

The young man faltered.  He looked at Allen who still moved his mouth without sound.

“What did Captain Butcher say?” Cousin asked.  Her tone was short and flat.

Cork cleared his throat.  “He said to be up front and honest.  Not to play games.  Not to promise anything.  And above all else do not address you as Des’Tras.”

“And?”

Cork gulped.  “And if you kill us because we were stupid we aren’t worth having on his crew.”

Cousin nodded.  “Speak your piece.”

“We came to ask about the sliver staff.”

Cousin stared blank faced.

“The sliver staff?  You know?”  Cork looked between Sher ra and Allen.

Sher ra dipped her head.  “With your leave Cousin.”

Cousin nodded ignoring Allen’s agitated hand gestures.

“The sliver staff went missing from a merchant ship over a year ago.  It was on its way to Protector.  That is all we known,” Sher ra said.

“That is your only lie,” Cousin said.

Sher ra and Cork looked at Allen.  He glared at Cousin.

“If they lie,” Allen started, then stopped at the sound of his own voice.  He straightened up and looked down his nose at Cousin.  “It seems you aren’t as powerful as Butcher says you are.  Your spell has failed under the onslaught of my intent.”

Cousin looked at Allen like he was a funny bug.  Then she dismissed him, and turned to the others.  “Tell me more about this silver staff.”

“They shall not.  I forbid it,” Allen said.

Cousin waved him off and waited for the others to speak.

Cork ducked his head.  “Allen is the most powerful of us.  We can’t disobey.”

“Allen has no power, and never will again.”

Allen harrumphed and drew back his hand.  Nothing happened.  He drew symbols on the air.  Nothing happened.  He thumped his staff and chanted.  Nothing happened.  Allen’s eyes went wide and his face ridged.

Cork turned to Cousin.  “The only things I know about the silver staff are legend and rumor.  Many doubt whether the staff is real in the way legend speaks.

“It is said that nothing can hide from the staff.  It can be used to see anything.  Anything past.  Anything now.  Some say the staff is a conduit to the Ancient Gods.  To their lost knowledge and great powers.  That with the staff even the lowest empowered can be almost as powerful as the Des’Tras.

“It is said that because the Des’Tras is a being born of the Ancient Gods, only the Des’Tras can unleash the full power of the silver staff.”  Cork took a breath and met Cousin’s eyes.

Cousin thought about what Cork said.  She looked out at the advancing storm.  “What else?”

“Those who are unworthy are devoured by it,” Sher ra said.  “The Ancient Gods decide who is worthy.”

“Thank you,” Cousin said.

“Return what is mine,” Allen said.

“Are you sure you want that,” Cousin said looking out the porthole.

“I demand it.”

Allen began to age and whither.  His hands became so gnarled he couldn’t hold the staff.  It fell with a hollow clatter.  His eyes bulged, then sunk.  His muscles wasted.  Allen dropped to the floor little by little until he was only a small pile of dust.

Sher ra stood with her hand over her mouth.  Cork watched blinking.

The staff floated to Cousin’s hand.  “What else do you want to ask?”

“Do you,” Sher ra started, then took a deep breath.  “Do you know anything of the sliver staff?  One rumor said it was taken by the Kraken Pirates.”

Cousin didn’t answer.  She gazed at the storm.  “What would you do with it if you found it?”

Cork coughed.  “Allen wanted it.  He believed he could wield it.”

Cousin looked at Cork with deeply shadowed eyes.

“We hoped he would share some of the power.  We knew it was unlikely,” Cork finished.

“I’ll not say if I have seen this staff,” Cousin said.  “I have not heard of this legend before now.  I have seen staffs made of sliver, each having unique properties.  I have no real answer to this question.”

“Thank you for your time,” Cork said and turned to go.

“But?” Sher ra said.

Cork shook his head and walked out.

Sher ra hesitated looking at the open door.  “With respect,” she said, “we answered your questions.”

Cousin nodded.  “Without more information about the staff you ask about I can’t answer.  I have seen staffs.  Plural.  Some made of silver, some inlaid with silver, and others that only look sliver.  How I am to distinguish one of them as the one you look for?  And if I could, why would I give it up?”  Cousin watched Sher ra as each thought flowed over her face.

“You would keep it,” she said.  “As any wielder would.”

“No,” Cousin said.  “If it posed a threat to me or mine, I would dump it in the deepest part of the ocean.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

Cousin looked back at the dark sky.  “Don’t care.”

Sher ra turned to leave.  At the door she turned back.  “Why do you not want to be addressed by your title?”

“I am Cousin.  I am nothing other.”

A knock sounded on the door to Butcher’s cabin.

“Come.”

Vermit bobbed his head.  He twisted his cap in his hands.  “She’s settled and sleeping, Captain,” Vermit said.

Butcher rubbed his throat and nodded.  “You did well, Vermit.  How’d you know what to say to her?”

Vermit shrugged.  “Just knew Kor called her little miss.  Knew he would scold her if she acted out.  Knew she loved him.  I just tried to sound enough like him to get her attention.”

Butcher eyed Vermit.  “Scold her?”

Vermit shrugged again.  “She’s the only person I know to find a soft spot in that hell hound.”

Butcher shook his head.  “Don’t want one of your stories right now.  What about the Des’Tras?”

“Please don’t call me that,” Cousin said from the doorway.

Vermit turned and shook a finger at her.  “You should be resting.  I’ll not have Kor after my head if you faint from exhaustion when it matters.  Shoo.  Go back to bed.”

Cousin came forward and kissed Vermit on his scarred, balding head.  “I’m better now.  Thanks.”

“Don’t hand me that.  And it’s rude to come into the Captain’s -”

“Enough, Vermit,” Butcher said.  “Go see about some food for our guest and myself.”

“Aye, Captain,” Vermit said with a bob of his head.  He looked at Cousin.  “Mind your manners, missy.”

“Yes, sir,” she said.

“Can you tell me what happened to your crew?” Butcher asked after the door was shut.

Cousin closed her eyes and told the story.

Butcher listened, and waited for Cousin to finish.  “How many days have you been walking?  We are nowhere near where you were.”

“I’m not sure.  All I know is that my family is in no mortal danger and Haven is sound.  Yours is the first ship I’ve seen.”

“And you’re sure the Masters took them to Al’Ri?”

“Yes.”

Butcher went to his collection of carts and pulled out several.  He motioned for Cousin to join him at a table under a swaying chandler.  Unrolling a cart, he weighted the corners.  The large chart showed half the charted world.  Butcher put a finger on a spot marked “shrouded in Myst, Al’Ri”.

Cousin leaned over the table and focused on the spot.

“Slaughter Fish is a month out from the Myst.  No one really knows how many or what kind of islands lay in the Myst.  We could take you close, but not in.”

Cousin looked at the chart.  She guessed at Slaughter Fish’s current location.  “A month is too long.”

“Any spell work will give us away.”

Cousin nodded.  “I’ll move faster on my own.”

Butcher stood straight and looked Cousin over.  She was girlishly small.  Her skin glowed, her neck and fingers were too long.  Her eyes were more than large, her ears were pointed.  She didn’t look mortal to Butcher.  She didn’t even look like Al’Ri.  A chill slid over his skin.  Butcher rubbed his throat.

Cousin stared at the chart.  “They know I’ll come.  They know only what they want to believe.”

A knock sounded at the door.

“Come,” Butcher said.

Vermit came in followed by two others.  They put the food and drink on another table and left.

The smell of food snapped Cousin from her thoughts.  Her stomach growled a long rolling grumble.

Butcher laughed a sharp, short bark.  “You’re mortal after all.”

Cousin looked at Butcher and smiled a Death Smile.  “Smells passable.  Nothing compares to Jak’s grub.”

“I’ll take that wager,” Butcher said.

Cousin saw the ship coming toward her.  She would not stop.  The half formed thought was to sink it if it interfered with her course.  Otherwise, she would ignore it.  She was making her way to Haven.

The ship slowed and dropped anchor.

Cousin walked on.

“Ho, the water,” Butcher called down.  “Where sails the Haven?”

Cousin looked up.  She saw Butcher and remembered all her charms singing danger.  She floated up to face him.

“How fairs the Kraken Pirates?” Butcher asked.

Cousin gripped him by the neck and squeezed.  Butcher’s men jumped to defend their Captain, and found themselves frozen in place.

Cousin did not speak.

“Mind your manners, missy,” Vermit said as he walked up on shaking legs.

Cousin started and stared at the old man.

“You heard me,” Vermit said.  “Let the Cap go.  It’s bad manners laying hands on someone who ain’t attacked you.  Leave off.”

Cousin looked at the quaking man.  “Kor?”

“Thimble headed, nit wit.  Do I look like that hell hound to you?”

Cousin’s grip lightened up.  She didn’t let go of Butcher.

Vermit walked up and touched her hand.  “Let go, missy.  Ain’t a soul here that can hurt you.”

Cousin let go and sunk to the deck on her knees.  She grabbed onto Vermit and cried.

At mid-day Haven came into sight of a smoking merchant ship.  Drake’s ship shot volley after volley of cannon balls.  Most missed their target.  The merchant ship fired back with less result.

Kraken watched from the crow through his spyglass.  “Maybe we should hold off.  See how this plays out.”

“Maybe you spoke to soon,” Kor said pointing.

Drake’s ship had broke off, and was setting sail for Haven.

“General courters,” Kraken called down.  “Bry take the crow.”

“Aye, Captain.”

Kraken passed Bry on his way down.  He went to Cousin at the bow.  He ran a hand down her back and rested it on her hip.  He pulled her to him.  “What do you see?”

“Nothing new really.  The merch is pulling away as fast as they can.  Drake is under half crew from our fight before.  I don’t see any wielders on his ship.”  Cousin shrugged.

“What is it?”

“I think there is still a connection from before.  From the Drake Puppet.”

“What type of danger is there?  He was used by Protector, right?”

Cousin shifted.  “I don’t like it.  It feels wrong.”

Kraken kissed her head.  “Would it make you feel better to go over there and rip the link out of Drake?”

“Yes.”

“Then on your word, my love.”  Kraken met Cousin’s eyes and opened himself with the full extent of his love to her.  Their mingled energies washed over Haven.

The crew cheered.

“Just leave a few for the rest of us.”

Cousin floated up, kissed his cheek, and flew to Drake’s ship.  She landed with the weight of a cannon ball.  Men ran at her and she pushed them away with a flick of her wrist.

Jones Bone jumped in front of her with his bird cage.  “Pretty bird,” he screamed and swung the cage.

Cousin caught his hand, took the cage and hit him with it.  She dropped the cage with a tiny Jones Bone squawking inside.

Drake stood ridged his mouth opened.  “So good of you to come,” said a male voice full of disdain.  “So good of you to leave Haven.”

Cousin spun to look.  A great bubble of shifting black encircled Haven.  She lept into the sky and opened her perception.  The bubble was nothing.  She could feel Kraken and the rest, but nothing of the black bubble.

Cousin stretched herself open trying to get a grip on her family.  Then she was struck with a crushing force.  She grappled with the invaders fighting to keep the part of Kraken that lived within her.  Cousin screamed fury while another part of her watched from a cold calm place.

Haven was gone.  The ocean rushed in to fill the deep bowl shape left by the bubble’s absence.

Cousin struck out and the force against her crumbled.  Somewhere in her mind she knew the force had been a claiming attempt by the Masters.  Would they try to claim Kraken?

An arrow struck her arm.  She ripped it out and flew back to Drake’s ship.  The men she walked by froze, statues of flesh.

Cousin walked up to Drake.  “Speak.”

A soundless laugh came from Drake’s open mouth.  “Come to us.”

Drake collapsed.  Moments stood still.

Cousin struggled with herself.  She knew better than to rush off.  She needed to learn her enemy.

Drake stirred.  He climbed to his feet, a hand to his head.

“Headache?” Cousin said.

Drake jumped back and drew his sword.  “How did you get here?  What did you do?”

Cousin titled her head to the side.  She looked into Drake and her gorge rose.  The man was more than depraved.  Still the connection she sought was elusive.  “The Al’Ri Masters used you to take Haven and her crew.  I will have them back.”

Drake laughed so hard he stumbled and dropped his sword.  He held onto the wheel of support.  Tears ran from his eyes leaving muddy trails on his grimy face.  “You’ll . . .   Nothing!” he managed to say between fits of laughter.

Cousin took his voice.

Drake stood straight, wide eyed.

“You will only make a sound in answer to my questions.  If you make me take what I want from your mind, I will leave you mute and crippled for as long as your life may be.”  Cousin’s voice was flat.

Drake blinked, sneered, then nodded.

“The link, do you feel it?”

“Never did.”

Cousin moved faster than sight and ripped off Drake’s right hand.  “If you lie again, I will take a body part for each falsehood.”

Drake screamed silence while blood and shattered bone and dangling tissues trailed from his mangled wrist.

“Answer.”

“Yes.” Drake choked out.  “Yes.  I can feel it.  Like a hole behind my eyes.”

Cousin walked around him.

Drake turned to keep her in front.

Cousin abruptly turned and walked away.  The pirates on Drake’s ship came back to normal.  Some ran from her.  Others stood and watched her walk by.  A few attacked.  Those few died turned inside out, a bubbling, globby mess.

Cousin picked up Jones Bone in his cage.  The tiny Jones cursed and brandished his sword. Cousin turned the cage over and over while she unraveled how it worked.  Jones Bone fell and bounced, fell and bounced.  Cousin dropped the cage and walked to the bulwark.

She looked out over the ocean to where Haven had sat.  The charms she kept for her family were still. No danger at present.  Haven was a shadow in her mind.  The ship whispered in the recesses of her consciousness.  Finding them would not be the hard part.

A net laced with spell cast silver fell over Cousin.  The binding spell gripped and writhed over her body.  She did not fight the net.  Her focus was still on the spot where Haven had been.

Drake grabbed her by her hair and jerked her back.  “I’m immune to Al’Ri magic,” he whispered, his breath a fog of rot around Cousin’s face.  “Now you’ll see what real pirates are.”

An explosion of wood and rigging and flesh flew around Cousin.  The ocean rained up and boiled down.  When all settled, Cousin floated in place.

Drake held onto the net with all he had.  He worked to get his feet hooked into it.

Cousin dissolved the net and let Drake fall into the debris of his ship.  She felt the approach of deep ocean predators, and left Drake to his fate.  Settling onto the waves, she changing her mass, and started walking.

Cousin stood the crow.  She cast her perception wide looking for Drake.  She found him still pursuing the merchant ship a day ahead.  She laughed low.  “Dumb ass,” she whispered to the wind.  She almost felt sorry for the pirate.  Almost.

Sea wind whipped her braid.  Sunlight warmed her skin.  Cousin turned her face up to the sun to feel the contrast of hot sun and cool breeze.

“Share your thoughts?” Kraken said climbing through the hatch.  He handed Cousin a biscuit sandwich.

She took a bite and chewed with slow relish.  Her eyes were wide and filled with dancing shadows.

“Well?”

“Just thinking that it would be good to sail on and not stop for a while.  Maybe visit the Eastern Rims.  I haven’t ever been there.”

“Gabb would disagree,” Kraken said. “This because Al’Ri is south-west?  Trying to get some distance?”

“Yes.”

Kraken sighed and leaned on the rail.  “I don’t have an answer.  I did talk to Kor.  He told me about the aunt.  Sorry.”

Cousin leaned her head on his arm.  “I could feel how much my mother loved me.  That filth kept all of it.  It made her more powerful.”

“Sure you don’t want to kill them?”

“It isn’t for them.”

“I know.”  Kraken turned and kissed her forehead.  “I’m rubbing off?  Just a little?”

Cousin smiled and said nothing.

“There will be plenty of time for the Al’Ri later.  What about Drake?”

Cousin pointed.  “A day that way.  Still chasing the merch.”

“Still?”

“Yes.  The merch has a few wielders.  They are making it hard.”

“So?”

Cousin shrugged.

“Dumb ass.”

Cousin tippy toed and pulled Kraken down by his growing beard so she could kiss his lips before leaving the crow.

“Tell Gabb,” Kraken called after her.

“Aye, Captain,” she said without looking back.  When her feet hit the deck she looked around.  Gabb was no where to be seen.  Matty was at the helm.  The rest of the crew moved through their duties.  Cousin stopped Stephen when he walked by.  “Gabb?”

“Galley.”

“Thanks.”  Cousin left Stephen to his work.

The galley wasn’t real busy.  The crew filtered in and out looking for breakfast.  Gabb sat with his feet up drinking a tankard of water and watching the comings and goings.

Cousin sat down next to Gabb, knocking his feet to the floor.  Jak sat a platter of meat with melon slices in front of her.  She looked at Jak.  “Where did we get the melon?”

“The Le’An ship.”

Cousin took a big bite of juicy fruit.  She mushed it around in her mouth letting the juice slide down her throat.

“You going to eat it or what?” Gabb asked.

Cousin swallowed and wrinkled her nose at Gabb.  “Drake is a day ahead.  Kraken said to tell you.”

“Can’t you make a speeder spell?  I did the last one.”

“He’s still chasing the merch.”

Gabb threw his head back and laughed.  “If we give him long enough he might get turned around and head for us.”

Cousin shrugged and took another big bite of melon.

Gabb grumbled his way to his feet and left without looking back.

Jak sat on the table next to Cousin.  He folded his arms over his chest and watched her swallow the melon.  “It’s nice to have fresh fruit occasionally,” he said.  “Would be nicer to have fresh food more often.”

“What are you fishing for, Jak?”

“I saw on the Le’An ship where they had chickens for eggs.  A goat for milk.  Just thought it would be nice.  We have the room.”

“You want to clean up after livestock?”

“That’s what the Captain said.”

“And?”

Jak shrugged.  “Thought you could . . .”  Jak made some hand gestures.  “You know.”

Cousin frowned.  She hadn’t expected requests for magical favors.  She wasn’t sure how to respond.

“I said, you clean up after them,” Kraken said from the door.

“Aye, Captain.  It’s for the whole ship though.”

Then maybe the others can help with the up keep.”  Kraken stared Jak down.

Jak nodded.  “Aye, Captain.”

Kraken turned to Cousin.  “Make a speeder spell.  Please.”

“On your word Captain,” she said and took another big bite of melon.

Haven sailed on slow waters under star filled skies.  Most of her crew slept.  Cousin stood in the windows of the Captain’s cabin.  It was strange to think of it as hers as well.  Hers and Kraken’s.

Kraken slept.  Cousin listened to his even breathing and thought of him gazing up at the sky the night she told him where she came from.  Of Kraken taking in the sunset before the fight on the cliff.  Of Kraken gazing at her.  She thought of the wonder in his expression.

A comet streaked across the sky.

Cousin smiled sad.

Then she was in her study.  The sliver staff gave a soft white glow.  In the staff’s light she ran a finger over the letters on the book, and she could read them.  The staff glowed brighter.  “I’ll make you a deal.  Keep my family safe and I will never dump you in a trench.”  A gentle tingle flowed over her body, and the staff’s light extinguished.  “Thank you.”

Cousin stood back at the windows.  The sky was brilliant, alive, vast.

With one final check of Haven’s safety she went back to bed.

When Haven parted from the Le’An ship she had no new crew.  Her hold only had a few new crates, her stores only a few extras.  Most everything was left for the freed slaves.

The crew celebrated.

Cousin stood aft and watched the diminishing ship.

“Speak up,” Kor said walking up.

“I’ll have to kill them all.  I don’t want to.”

“Why?”

Cousin looked at Kor.  Her eyes were distant shadows.  “Because. . .  I don’t know.”  She tilted her head to the side.  Her long braid almost brushed the deck.  “It changes me in ways I don’t like.”

“Listen to me missy.  The way you struggle to stay you is the hardest thing I’ve ever watched.  From the damaged child to Al’Ri wielder to woman in love, I’ve watched you struggle with yourself.  I’ve seen you not use the full extent of your power.  Don’t believe you ever will.”  Kor put a hand on Cousin’s arm.  “But that’s just me.”

“No buts?”

Kor shrugged.  “Not everything has hard edges.”  He squeezed Cousin’s arm and walked away.

The galley was in full ruckus.  Men shouted, gamed, drank and argued.  Frick and Ollie sang songs of bloody battle and rich reward to the cheers of most.

Cousin and Kraken sat against the wall.  They talked in low tones with Gabb and Kor about future exploits.

“We need to raid a merchant or government ship,” Kor said.  “We’re pirates.  We need to ply our trade.”

“Our trade?  Really?”  Gabb chuckled.

“Mind your manners,” Kor said.

“He has a point,” Cousin said.  “We haven’t done anything except deal with the chaos around me for the last few months.  It would be nice to take a ship.”

Kraken watched the crew.  He remembered when each of them joined.  “A government ship has more slaves and better weapons.”

“You thinking of filling some of our empty space?” Gabb asked.

“Maybe.  I didn’t bring any of the Al’Ri even though more than a few wanted to come.  Hells, the only one I trusted was a twelve year old boy with one arm.  I almost brought him too.  It’s got me thinking about adding to our numbers.”

Cousin squeezed Kraken’s knee.  “He would have hated being here after the shine wore off.”

Kor snorted.  “I think you underestimate the boy.  He was storm and spray, guarantee it.  He wasn’t ready though.  Still in love with home.”

Gabb nodded.  “A government ship sounds good.  Or a rival.”

“Someone where restraint isn’t necessary,” Kor said.  “Aye.  That could do some good.”

“Too bad Reaper and Blake are dead,” Cousin said, her voice thick with sarcasm.

“You’re prettier when you’re not an ass,” Kraken said.

Cousin roared laughter.  Every head turned to her.  She laughed until tears rolled from her eyes.  She beat the table with her palm.  Not until she was gasping for breath did she stop.  And still she laughed between great gulps of air.  When she finally got control of herself, she lay her head on the table and heaved air.  She closed her eyes and listened to Haven laugh with her.

“What did you do to her, Captain?” Stephen asked.

Kraken leaned his chair against the wall and put his hands behind his head.  “Women love a man that can make them laugh.”