Through the ventilation grills below, Welton the horseshouted: “Wizard firing!”
“Wizard firing!”shouted the leopards above.“Clear thedeck!”
Isaac went through the casting motions carefully, makingsure the draw of power was smooth and efficient.Aball of flame appeared in each of his palms.He pressed his hands together,and, when he drew them back, there was one large conflagration, twisting andhissing with the spray of the sea.He put more energy into the cast, and theflames grew larger, growing from the size of a melon to a cannonball, surgingpast the point of a trebuchet missile.When it was large enough to constitute aboulder, Isaac had to lean over the gunwale, trying to protect the surroundingropes.
Ahead, the privateer vessel was beginning to turn, its crewrattling sabers in the air.Their hull was worn, rotting, and studded with theholes of cannons.A distant battle cry erupted from the vessel.
“Fire at will,” Vance said.
Isaac loosed the fireball.
It arced across the waves like a second sun blazing throughthe sky.Isaac wobbled on his feet, nearly collapsing from the transfer ofenergy, but Zaria was already rushing to his side, catching him as he fell.They watched the fireball complete its downward trajectory.In a great burst ofpower, it crashed into the sea, quivering the waves, instantly boiling thewater, sending a massive plume of steam exploding up through the air.Thegeyser was so white and strong and lurching that, for a moment, it burped theprivateer ship up from the water itself, like the rise of a bucking horse.
The reaction was immediate.Screams carried over the waves.Privateers fell from the rigging and flailed along the deck, their skin cookedand peeling.Instead of a slow turn, the privateers quickly changed course,pulling hard to starboard, almost cracking their hull with the sudden twist.Through a fog of boiled water, Isaac could see the vessel rushing back into thewaves, fleeing like a scolded dog.
All together, the crew of theArmsof Hornbegan to cheer, laughing and taunting the pirates.Zaria kept afirm hold on Isaac, giving him enough support that hecould concentrate on breathing.
“Well,” Vance said, deadpan.“I guess wizards are the newstandard, for all good navies.Back before, we made do with spit and iron.”Shewatched the privateers sail away, her whiskers flicking.“I just wish itweren’t a warning.Traitors deserve worse.”
“They’re pirates, capt,” Zaria said.“Only loyalty they’vegot is to coin.”
“Exactly!Feline queen pardoned them.We’re flying herbloody colors.That should’ve earned some pause, at the very least.”The otterremoved her hat and slapped it against her thigh, shaking off the water.“Craven bastards are just using the Royal Claw as a means to pillage.The leastthey could do is declare themselves.”
Zaria cleared her throat.Isaac could hear the hesitation inher voice.Neither of them had explained who they were upon signing thecontract—Zaria had claimed to sail cargo for a merchant company on the edge ofthe Charnel, while Isaac said he had attended university in the outer kingdomof Urshan.They had not been questioned too severely, and they had takencareful measures to keep their identities consistent while underway.In manyways, Vance was a permissive captain, but she was still an old salt, which madeher a veteran of the Scorch, as well as the coastal wars of Giovanna’sexpansion.It was clear her service had imbued certain opinions.Walton, herlieutenant, had hated Isaac from the moment he noticed a spell, and a goodportion of the crew still refused to supp with him at meals.
Zaria took a moment to speak.
“Think I see some heads, down in the wakes.”
There were, indeed, a few privateers who had fallen into theopen sea, either bucked from the deck when the geyser lifted the ship, orreeling over the gunwale as they burned from the steam itself.Some of themwere clearly struggling to swim.
“Aye,” Vance said, watching.“Seems the geyser knocked ‘emoverboard.”
“You wanna pull for rescue?”
“No.Let ‘em sink.”The otter turned.“Presly!Back tocourse!”
At the helm, the old coyote nodded,spinning the wheel sharply to port, the escaped cockatrice already making an effort to sleep in his lap.TheArms of Horngroaned as it turned back to the westerly direction.Isaac watched severalheads disappear beneath the waves as the ship gained distance.
For a moment, the only sound was the flapping of a canvassail.
“Aye there, capt,” Zaria said, quietly.“Fair enough.”Aftera moment of watching the otter, she helped Isaac back to his feet.“Good?”
“Yes,” he said, panting.“Thank you.”
“Sure.My squire’s rather cute when he’s breathless.”
“I believe the word is dashing.”
“Oh, that’s one of them, surely.”
She tousled his hair.He slapped her hand away.She began togrin, but a cleared throat made her stop.Vance was watching the two of them.Zaria adjusted her boatswain coat and stood at attention.
“Isaac,” the otter said.“Come to my cabin for dinnertonight.We need to talk.”
“Captain, I’m sorry about the manticore—”
“Not that.Got a missive from the Royal Claw this morning.”Sheshivered.“Right in the soul.Odd feeling, that.Anyway, they’re wantin’ me togive a full report on your findings.You done all your sketches and whatnot?”
