The Questing Game Read online

  "Any trouble with the men?"

  "Not really, sir," he replied. "They know where they are. There hasn't been many to leave the ship that didn't come back quickly."

  "Well, if it isn't the illustrious Captain Abraham Kern!" a feminine voice called from across the way. Tarrin looked behind him, between two posts in the railing, towards the black clipper ship moored across the quay from the Star of Jerod. Tarrin saw the female Wikuni, Sheba, standing at the rail of her own steerage deck, a foot on a crate against the rail and her elbow resting upon it. "It's a small ocean, I see! Fix that hole I put in your amidships yet? If I remember right, it's on the other side."

  "It wasn't much more than an inconvenience," Kern replied in a calm voice that made the sneering grin melt off the panther-Wikuni's face. "You should know better than to annoy me, girl. How is your shoulder?"

  That made her scowl, and almost unconsciously rub her shoulder. "I think I should pay you back for that, Kern," she called.

  "You already tried."

  That made her expression ugly. "You know what they say. If at first you don't succeed, try try again."

  "Any time, my dear, any time," he called. Tarrin noticed that quite a few dock workers and what looked like sailors had gathered between the ships, to witness the challenge of words between the two very different ship captains. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to do."

  "I'm crushed that you don't consider me important."

  "You never were," he told her in a dismissive voice, a voice that impressed Tarrin with both its understated offensive quality as well as its dry humor. And with that, he turned his back on the female.

  Sheba snarled, showing a mouth full of very sharp teeth, and she drew a strange metallic object from her belt. Tarrin recognized it after a moment, from Keritanima's stories and tales. A starwheel pistol, a little device that used smoke powder to propel a small lead ball with enough force to drive it through a breastplate. The instant she pointed it at Kern's exposed back, Tarrin's protective instincts roared up into his mind. Kern wasn't exactly a friend, but his willingness to help had made him a man worth great respect in Tarrin's mind. Tarrin didn't turn his back on his friends, or those who had earned respect.

  Jumping up onto the rail, Tarrin's green eyes ignited from within with a green radiance that was visible to the Wikuni on the ship across the wharf. Sheba's attention focused from Kern's back to the black cat that had suddenly jumped up to interfere with her line of fire, and its glowing green eyes.

  He had no idea what he did, or where it came from. He wanted her to drop that weapon, and suddenly he could sense it, what it was made of, and how to make her drop it. Something happened to it, or something, and it suddenly turned red-hot. Sheba cried out suddenly and dropped the smoldering weapon, shaking her furry hand vigorously as the pistol's barrel, glowing with heat, began to scorch the deck under it. They backed away from it as the heat caused the smoke powder inside it to ignite, causing the little weapon to tear itself apart as the little ball inside the barrel struck the heat-softened walls of the barrel and jammed. That bottled up all that explosive energy, and caused it to destroy the weapon in a loud bang, a puff of oily smoke, and flying red-hot fragments of steel.

  That didn't seem to be enough. Tarrin's attention focused on the brass-bound steering wheel behind the Wikuni, who was still shaking her hand and holding it with her other by the wrist. He concentrated on that ornate fixture, and it suddenly exploded in a brilliant flash of fire and smoke, sending charred bits of wood and twisted brass in every direction.

  "Witchcraft!" Sheba said in a strangled voice as they looked back at the post where the wheel had once been affixed.

  "Magic," a Wikuni of some kind of large cat who had been near the wheel said, in a voice that was low, but still audible to Tarrin's sensitive ears. This male wasn't dressed like the others. He wore a simple blue shirt and trousers, and a silver amulet formed like a wave was around his neck. A priest of Kikkali, the Wikuni goddess of sailing? What was a priest of Kikkali doing on a pirate ship? "That little cat can use some kind of magic that I've never experienced before. That's very intriguing."

  "Tarrin, lad, did you do that?" Kern asked in a whisper, coming up beside him at the rail.

  Tarrin nodded grimly, keeping his eyes, still glowing, fixated on the Wikuni pirate.

  "Consorting with devil-cats, Kern? That's not like you," Sheba called in a dangerous voice, still shaking her hand. "It's going to pay for burning my hand. You may as well just send it over here now."

  "Do you really want it, Sheba?" Kern asked, putting his hands under Tarrin and picking him up. "I'll bring it right over, if you want. I'm sure you'll find it very entertaining. Just before it burns your ship down to its waterline."

  Sheba's angered gaze suddenly turned fearful. "Ah, no, maybe not," she called back.

  And that generally ended that. Kern carried Tarrin back down onto the deck, where the sailors were standing around watching. "Sorry to pick you up, but I think it's a good idea to get you out of sight, and them out of sight of you," Kern told him calmly as he climbed down the very steep staircase that rose up to the steerage deck.

  Tarrin looked up at the aged man, his eyes still glowing, and nodded calmly.

  Kern put him down on the deck, and he immediately scampered down the steep steps that led to the cabins below. He was confused. What did he do? It wasn't Sorcery. At least it didn't feel like Sorcery. It could have been, because he was in his cat form. There was no telling how being in his cat form would affect his ability to use Sorcery. He had done it once before, a very long time ago, but it had been an instinctive reaction born of fear and desperation. What he had just done was a very calculating use of power, and he had been in full control the entire time. Perhaps he had used Sorcery, but his cat form had altered the way it worked, or the way it felt. A Sorcerer's body and physical health had alot to do with how effectively the Sorcerer could control the Weave. Since his cat form was literally a different body, there was no telling how it would change the way using Sorcery felt.

  It seemed a logical explanation, mainly because he couldn't think of anything else.

  "What was that all about?" Keritanima asked as Tarrin entered the cabin in his humanoid form, a thoughtful and slightly confused look on his face.

  "I'm not sure," he replied. "I used Sorcery in cat form. It felt...strange."

  "I meant with Sheba," the Wikuni pressed.

  "She aimed a pistol at Kern," he shrugged. "I took steps."

  "Dolanna said we couldn't draw attention to ourselves," Keritanima said.

  "Tarrin did not draw attention to himself," Binter said calmly, making a move on a lanceboard holding chess pieces. Sisska sat opposite the board. "A cat drew attention to itself. A rare few know that they are the same."

  "That does make sense," Azakar agreed.

  "I guess it does, but you shouldn't have done that," the princess told him. "Sheba is well known for being both vindictive and spiteful. You burned her, and she's not going to forget that. Now she has another reason to chase us down."

  "Let her," Tarrin said in a blunt voice. "On the open sea, there won't be anyone to see us, and she'll have nowhere to hide."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "I...think I can do what I did again," he said hesitantly. "I'm not sure, though. If I can, I could easily crack her ship open like an egg. It won't be chasing us if it's laying at the bottom of the sea."

  "Tarrin!" Keritanima gasped. "You can't do that! If you sank Sheba, the entire Wikuni fleet would hunt us down!"

  "If I remember right, they're already doing that, Kerri," Azakar said. "Besides, I thought you said that Wikuna doesn't support Sheba."

  "Wikuna doesn't, but her family would demand revenge for her loss. And her family is very powerful."

  "So, in other words, Wikuna does sanction piracy against other kingdoms."

  "Of course not!"

  "Then why would Wikuna retaliate if a known pirate gets su
nk?" he asked in a very calm tone.

  "You don't understand the situation," she protested.

  "I don't see why it would be so hard to understand," he replied. "Wikuna doesn't support free--free--freebooters, you said. Sheba is a pirate, and Wikuna knows it. So if she gets sunk, they should be happy another pirate is sent to the bottom."

  "A pirate whose father happens to have influence over most of the noble houses of Wikuna," Keritanima said. "If Arthas Zalan got his hackles up, he could easily convince the nobles to mobilize their personal ships to hunt down whoever sank Sheba."

  "So? The Royal Fleet would have to stop them."

  "That would be civil war!" Keritanima said in outrage.

  "So? The law would be on the crown's side. Anyone mobilizing to sink us out of revenge would be revolting against the crown in the first place, since the crown doesn't condone piracy."

  Keritanima gave the Mahuut a hot look, then she laughed ruefully. "You're right," she said sheepishly. "But it wouldn't happen. Letting them sink one ship is a much better option than having all of Wikuna descend into civil war."

  "That's not right."

  "Alot of things in politics aren't right, Zak, but sometimes a ruler has to decide between the good of many over the good of a few. It's part of what makes a king a king."

  "Or a queen," Sisska added.

  "I'll leave that up to Jenawalani," Keritanima snorted, sitting down in a chair. She stared at Allia, who was looking at her calmly. "What?"

  "Just listening to a queen, that's all," Allia replied in Selani. She had a very slight smile on her lips.

  "Don't even think that, sister," Keritanima grunted. "That's exactly what I'm here to avoid." She looked at Tarrin. "You need to talk to Dolanna about that, Tarrin," she told him. "Whatever it was you did, I didn't feel it at all."

  "I know, but it'll have to wait for her to get back," he replied.

  Kern came into the room. "Are you alright, lad?" he asked in his gravelly voice.

  "I'm fine, captain," he said.

  "I wanted to, apologize, for picking you up like that," he said.

  "It was a good idea, captain," Tarrin replied. "I don't mind being held by people when they have a good reason. Don't worry about it."

  "Alright. I just wanted to make sure you understood things. By the way, thanks for watching my back. Jameson said Sheba pointed a gun at me."

  "Any time."

  Kern nodded, then quickly and quietly left the small cabin, which was filled with several very large people.

  "I see you are feeling better, brother," Allia said, stepping up to him as Tarrin moved away from the door.

  "Aside from being stuck in here, more or less," he replied. "I want to get moving again."

  "I do not like being stuck in here either," Allia said. "Every time I take a step, I have to make sure there is not a tail in my path."

  "Well excuse us for being more blessed than you," Keritanima said with a wink.

  "You do not weigh much, Allia," Binter said dismissively. "It would not bother me to have you step on my tail. Azakar is another matter."

  "I only did it once," the large man protested.

  "And I will only pay you back for it once," Binter replied calmly.

  Azakar winced.

  Dolanna and the others returned just at sunset, and the Sorceress did not look happy. There was a tightness about her eyes, and she kept glaring at Miranda. The mink Wikuni seemed completely oblivious to the hot looks, removing a full cloak that she had used to hide her appearance to other eyes. Miranda was nondescript as a Wikuni, but her blond hair, her insufferable cuteness, and her mink lineage made her very identifiable as Keritanima's maid. "What did she do?" Keritanima asked with a sigh.

  "She left us not long after we left the ship," Dolanna said tightly. "I dared not send anyone to look for her."

  "Miranda!" Keritanima barked. "I ordered you to stay with Dolanna!"

  "And you expected me to obey you?" Miranda asked innocently. "My goodness, your Highness, you've been associating with these humans too long."

  "Miranda!"

  "I had a good reason," she said in a dismissive tone. "I'll explain later. After we set sail."

  "It's too late and too dark--"

  "No, your Highness, now," Miranda said in a very steady tone, staring directly into Keritanima's eyes.

  "Now?" Miranda nodded. "Alright, but if you're wrong--"

  "Posh," Miranda sniffed.

  "I take it that I should go speak with Kern?" Dolanna said in a curious voice, all hostility gone from it.

  "It would be a very good idea, Dolanna," Miranda said calmly. "Kern does not want to be in Roulet right now. It would be very unhealthy."

  "There is little wind, and no tide," Dolanna said. "To move the ship will require our assistance. Dar, Allia, come with me. Allia, wear the cloak that Miranda was using to hide herself, that will protect you from straying eyes. Tarrin, you and her Highness remain below. There is little we can do to conceal the two of you."

  "Tarrin's already been out, Dolanna," Keritanima told her. "We need to talk to you about that after we get out to sea."

  "Alright, Miranda, talk," Keritanima said immediately after Dolanna led Dar and Allia out, Faalken fell in behind them silently, and the door was closed.

  "I know a few names of people willing to sell information in Roulet," she said simply. "I asked around, spread some coins about, and learned quite a bit."

  "What?"

  "Where do you want me to start?" she asked, sitting sedately on the bed.

  "Just pick a place," Keritanima said in a voice near exasperation.

  "Well, now it's official," she began. "Damon Eram has sent the entire fleet out to look for you. He doesn't know which ship you're on, but Wikuni ships are scouring the Sea of Storms looking for us. They're stopping and searching every ship they cross on the high seas."

  "Well, I more or less expected that," Keritanima grunted. "What else did you learn?"

  "Tarrin isn't exactly a nobody anymore," Miranda said, looking right at him. "I heard of a man hiring thugs, mercenaries, and cutthroats to look for him. He described you very accurately, my friend," she told him. "He wants you dead. He even passed out silver-gilded daggers and swords to his hires, so it's apparent that he knows what you are."

  "Did you find him?" Keritanima asked.

  She shook her head. "I didn't have the time. Oh, yes, there's a good chance that there's a war in Sulasia."

  "What?" Keritanima, Tarrin, and Azakar gasped in unison.

  Miranda nodded. "It was just rumor, but many of them say the same thing. That the army of Daltochan came down out of the mountains and invaded eastern Sulasia. That's about all I managed to find out about that. I also heard that three Ungardt clans have invaded Draconia, probably over some kind of border atrocity. You know how the Draconians are. I also heard that the seas are absolutely crawling with Zakkite triads. Every ship captain and sailor I talked to grumbled about having to run from triads, but for some reason, the triads didn't pursue anyone. That's not like them. It seems like they're looking for something specific."

  "But it's winter," Azakar protested. "Why would armies move in the winter? It's crazy."

  "You forget the prize, Zak," Miranda said. "It's a good bet that we're not the only ones that know about the Firestaff. The chaos surrounding it seems to have already started. There are probably a few kings that would be willing to throw away half their armies for the chance to be a god."

  "Their whole armies," Keritanima agreed. "What else did you hear?"

  "Not a whole lot," she replied. "I talked to a Wikuni priestess, who told me that things at home are getting tense. It seems that the nobility isn't too thrilled that your father is wasting so many resources in trying to track you down. Most of them feel that your running away was something that shouldn't be stopped."

  "Why can't my father ever listen to other people?" Keritanima sighed.

  Tarrin moved away from the others, their voices fading a
way as he thought about what she said. Why would people look for him? That was an obvious question. Kravon knew who he was, it seemed, and the man had already proved that he had considerable resources. He probably knew Tarrin was looking for the Firestaff, but did he know that Tarrin was on a boat? Were there agents of the ki'zadun in every city, or just the port cities? He didn't know, and he wondered if there had been such men in Den Gauche. If so, then the Were-cat female, Triana, may have saved his life by heading him off before one of them managed to get close enough to find him.

  That was ironic enough to make him chuckle ruefully.

  Another thought, and another worry, was this talk of war. If Daltochan did invade, they would have moved through Aldreth. The lives of those he knew in his home village were not guaranteed if something like that happened. That worried him. Though he'd never been popular in the village, he had many friends there. What would become of them if Daltochan sent troops to occupy the northeastern marches of Sulasia? Was Torrian a besieged city, the friendly, compassionate Duke Arren now walled up inside his famed fortress, facing off against Dal attackers? Had they marched down the very roads that Tarrin and the others had travelled, claiming the land of his home for their own? Sulasia probably had not been prepared for war. Sulasia was not a very militant nation, depending on the Knights, the Sorcerers, and the famed Rangers to curb any aggression. And they probably had never expected Daltochan to be the aggressor. Sulasia and Daltochan had been very close trading partners for many years. Most of the metal and stone the famed Sulasian craftsmen used came from Daltochan.

  It was concerning, but there was nothing that he could do about it. If all this mess was over the Firestaff, then Tarrin did feel a little bit better about being stuck in this mission to find it. If kings would destroy good relationships with other kings over it, send men to their deaths and cause untold destruction and chaos, then perhaps something like the Firestaff wasn't meant for them.