A mariners revenge song
I had to pick the door up to move it; one of its hinges had been broken off entirely. An empty house greeted me on the other side.
My father hadn’t left much, save for the bedframe and a few pieces of furniture that I had patched back together. My eyes scanned the room. The drawers were pulled open, wooden plates and utensils left scattered on the floor. Torn apart dressers joined the visual noise on the floor. Whoever had done this had done it weeks prior at the least; wear was already taking the clothes and linens.
The room’s shadows pressed in on me, the roof low, the corners hollow. I stepped to the fireplace, brushing away the ash that lined the bottom. With a grunt, I pried free a brick from the bottom, then another. Below them was a pile of littered coins. I grabbed one, rubbing free the ash. Still silver.
There was no security in the Steel Archipelago; the powerful took whatever they wanted. The government would hardly overhear a trivial case of a sailor being robbed, especially when the crime was weeks ago. There was no catching a criminal then. This island had nothing for me; no home, no family, no security.
I counted my coins one at a time, sorting them into a pile.
From my bags, I pulled free more; the payment for my last expedition.
Two more trips. I needed two more trips; but only barely. The difference was a matter of a few coins. Then I could afford a ship big enough for myself and sail east. Then I could leave this place behind and find a new one on the sea.
I never belonged in the cities.
All I had to do was follow Silver Linings to their next expedition. I could stop wherever they went and buy a ship.
Putting the coins back into my bag, including the ashy ones from my hiding place, I walked back to the door. I put my boot on it. It broke with a satisfying crunch.
I didn’t need a door anymore. I wasn’t coming back here.
The door would be firewood for tonight. I hung the linens and sheets like drapes and shoved my bags beneath the bed.
Just two more days.
I lit a fire from the remains of the door. It was hard. The wood was wet.
My childhood clothing helped it catch.
Just two more days.
Then I would sail south.
***
There was a Colossus on the horizon. Most of the islands crowded the shores to see it; the Steel Archipelago itself couldn’t field a ship like that. A marvel of engineering, it could only stay afloat with the attention of dozens of mage’s smoothing the water. It towered over the horizon, the proud cloud insignia of Silver Linings emblazoned on its main sail as it approached the Steel Archipelago.
The Steel Archipelago’s patrol vessels escorted it, as if they were afraid it would decide to attack the islands at the last moment.
The ship didn’t rock in the waves. Instead, the ocean flattened around it, the effect of some magic, whether a mage or enchantment.
I looked away to board the smaller vessel approaching the dock. A boarding plank slammed down to the dock and sailors shuffled and pushed their way up the ship. I joined the crowd after a moment.
Guards — the ships permanent residents — made a corridor with their bodies, blocking the way forward into the rest of the ship. They directed the crowd forward to form a queue leading to the quartermaster.
When the door opened for me, I was shocked to see Merrick behind the desk. Silica loomed over his shoulder, still smoking, while Merrick was the one scrawling names into a book, desperate to keep up. His handwriting was a mess, big blotched ink stains painting the book.
Silica leaned her face on his shoulder.
“Shiprat!” Merrick said, smiling now.
“Merrick — you?” I said dumbly.
“Getting promoted. First real run.”
“His name. We don’t have all day.” Silica said, leaning back.
Merrick’s smile dropped.
He scrawled my name into the book.
“Register?” He asked, looking between me and my bag.
I pulled the coin purse out, slamming it onto a scale that sat on the desk.
“Eighteen pound.” I said. Merrick leaned over, adding counter weights to the scale until it evened out, then writing a note.
It was custom to mark your belongings to the Quartermaster. They would find anything stolen by turning over every last bag if they had to. It had happened before; they tossed the thief over and sailed away.
Merrick nodded and I pulled the bag away.
“Done.” He said, satisfied. “Next!”
“Wait.” I said.
“Don’t have much time.” Silica said. “Have to process everyone before it gets dark.”
“He’ll make it quick.” Merrick said.
“What’s this mission we’re on? Silver Linings owns a Collosus?” I asked. Merrick grimaced.
“Less you know, the better.” Silica said. “Next!”
Her voice brokered no discussion. I pushed into the side door away from the temporary office, stepping into the mess deck to find my way to a free meal. As soon as I grabbed it, I climbed my way to the top, staring out at the Colossus.
A ship big enough to ferry me across the sea cost twenty pound. I idly wondered what one of those ships cost, staring out at it and day dreaming.
I imagined myself a captain of a ship large enough to oppose an entire navy, listening to the chirping of the birds that circled above the ships. Where would I go if I had a ship like that? It was probably large enough to cross the world and find its edge. I had never even been beyond the domain of the Steel Archipelago.
It took hours to finish loading the ships. A series of bells indicated the loading was complete, and the ship started to turn away from the dock. I watched as we neared the Colossus, pouring over every detail of its hull and sails, and of the hundreds of people scurrying about its decks and riggings.
The cracking, thunderous noise of a bow being loosed pulled me from my day dreaming. My eyes flicked below. Shouts followed the noise; a spray of water fell. Someone had shot into the sea. There shouldn’t be any Leviathan this close to the Steel Archipelago.
The escort of Steel Archipelago ships pulled back all at once, peeling away. I threw myself down the rigging, finding an archer wearing the uniform of Silver Linings staring grimly over the side of the ship. People shouted in protest, the crowd shoving as people tried to move in different directions.
I grabbed the arm of a woman running passed me.
“What’s going on? Is there a Leviathan?” I asked.
“They shot him!” She shouted, pushing me off; her strength far exceeded mine.
“Who?”
“Till, he tried to run when he heard that we’re — ” she paused, assessing me. “You don’t know? They told us as soon as we left the dock. Silver Linings was contracted with a privateering mission!”
There was a splash of water distantly. My face paled, a horrible feeling settling into my gut.
“This is — piracy?” I asked.
Another bow cracked. I knew they wouldn’t miss. Not with skills in Archery that surpassed human limitations. The shouting intensified, the woman rushed off into the crowd and below the decks. There was a crack of a gunshot in the distance. I found myself looking that way almost involuntarily.
All captains were extraordinary.
This one was no exception.
A smooth scar covered half his head, creating a bald stripe where no hair grew. His right eye was a glowing, prosthetic artifact of magic. I wondered what the captains got paid to afford that. His left side was a mess of black curls falling to his shoulders. His outfit was rich reds. He swaggered forward to the railing above the offices, looking down at the deck.
“Quiet on the deck!” He said, leaning over the rail. “You’ve chartered with us, you’re sailing with us. Yes, as you’ve heard, this is a privateering mission. Which means you chartered will remain below deck. Calm down you cowards. You wont even see the fighting.”
The ship was tense, but still. I felt calm; unnaturally calm. The captain likely had some kind of skill to manipulate the morale of his crew.
“There will be no deserters and no mutinies on my ship. Jump overboard and you’re an enemy.” The captain swept the ship from left to right, looking out over the crew. “But stay aboard and survive, and your pay is as good as doubled. This privateering contract will pay you all well enough.”
Then he leaned back and walked away.
Shouting erupted on the deck, people crying in protest. The weight that held down my panic lifted slowly.
Privateering.
Fighting Leviathans was one thing, rowing the ship and killing monsters at a colossal scale. Leviathans didn’t have magic. This explained the Silver Linings flagship being present and the higher pay.
I pushed through the crowd and down the stairs. A line formed at the quartermaster’s temporary office, a queue of people waiting to stake their complaints or ask for higher pay for the twist in the mission. Pushing past them all, I forced the door open. A guard leaning against the wall staggered forward, but Merrick waved him back.
A woman shouted at Merrick over the desk.
“I’ve got kids, you see — ” She sounded irate.
“You’re not in any danger.” Merrick said. “None more than usual. Its just another trip.”
The woman glanced between Merrick and me, frantic.
“I just need to — I can swim back. I can swim back! Just give me permission to — ”
“No.” Merrick said, eyes hard.
The woman looked at me as if I would help. Then she shot out of the room.
“I hope she’s not serious about swimming.” I said, watching the door close behind her.
“You skip the line, shiprat?” Merrick asked.
“Where are we going?” I replied.
He leaned back, his chair groaning, locking eyes with Silica. She was scratching names from their ledger. How many people had tried to jump overboard? And the fleet killed them without mercy. Silica nodded at Merrick.
“The Flooded Grail’s our first stop.” Merrick replied.
My heart jumped up my throat.
“We’re raiding a pirate island?”
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