Godslayers

Erid’s sentries found me standing on the deck as the sun rose.

There was no longer any need to hide. I'd foregone the makeup that let me pass as Estheni. My uniform was made of thick, synthetic material; I'd thrown a hakmir over the top, and set my eyes to a matching dull green. The sword belted to my side wasn't mine—I'd grabbed it from the ship's armory—but an Efini operative under truce conditions wasn't allowed to wear the empty scabbard.

Like all things Velean, the scabbard was a truth and a lie. The empty scabbard was a symbol of unending war and a threat of an unseen blade. Neither were appropriate for truce conditions. Sheathing the sword negated those symbols—while contributing the very practical reality of a sword when the truce inevitably ended.

Which it would. The Eifni Organization does not know peace. It does not have allies; it does not have interests. We come to the enemy's world with nothing to barter and nothing to defend. What we have are weapons and targets. If we negotiate with you, it is to determine which one you are.

I kept the sword sheathed at the watchmen shouted questions at me. I didn't answer the questions, but repeated that I wanted to see the captain whenever they paused for breath. The pirate maps were secured in a tube slung over my back, but I waiting until we had privacy to pull those out.

More sailors showed up as the commotion drew them to the deck. They were a diverse bunch: Estheni, Phrecian, Hekelean, Parmedi, Martokou, Rou, and a handful of other ethnicities I couldn't identify. The crowd was about two-thirds men; sailing was a traditionally masculine role, but the original crew of this ship had been pilgrims we'd gathered from around town. That might have thrown the numbers off.

"Your captain is expecting me," I said again. "Please take me to see her."

"Not until you explain what you're doing here," said the sentry on the left. He was taller than me, wearing a wrap over loose sailor's pants, but he'd hunched his back and shoulders as if hiding himself behind the sword he was brandishing at me. It was impossible to see him as a threat.

I turned my head to look at him directly.

"I am here," I said, doing my best impression of Val, "to see the captain."

"What do you want with her?" asked the other sentry. "We've fought demigods before. You can't just take what you want."

I closed my eyes and sighed deeply. Then I raised my arms. The sentries stepped back fearfully at the motion, but I was only cupping my hands around my mouth.

"ERIIIIID!" I bellowed. "I'M ON YOUR DAMN SHIP! COME OUT HERE AND TALK!"

I turned and walked to the bow of the ship. The railing was new, but this was a couple feet from where I'd shot what's-their-face in the, uh, face. Good times. I sat down on the railing, ignoring everyone else.

They'd installed a mast on the ship somehow. That was a big deal, given that the Fool’s Errand had originally been designed to be pulled by a pair of megafauna. Seemed like the kind of thing you can't just retrofit with a mast, but I wasn't a shipwright. More important to me was identifying the ropes running up to the sails and memorizing the locations of their endpoints around deck. I wanted to be ready, at all times, to slash through a line with my cutlass and swing toward the problem.

Not that I had that kind of problem yet. Or a cutlass. Note to self: acquire a cutlass.

My daydreams were interrupted by one of the sailors cautiously approaching me. He was Estheni, kind of on the skinnier side, but with ropy muscles peeking out as he moved. Not a veteran sailor. He had one hand behind his back.

“You’re… her,” he said. “Danou, right?”

I tensed. My fingers were already on my sword, but I shifted surreptitiously to give myself an easier draw.

“What do you want?” I said, not confirming it.

“I was in an apprenticeship,” he said. “I was to be a brewer, like my ancestors. It was difficult, but I was happy. And then came the night I met you.”

I stared at his face, trying to recall who he was or when I’d met him. He avoided eye contact

“You’re gonna have to be more specific,” I said. “I meet a lot of people.”

“You convinced me to come on the pilgrimage,” he said. There was an intense sort of look on his face. I really didn’t like the way his hand was still behind his back. “It shattered the plans I had for my life.”

I was racking my brain, but I still couldn’t remember anything. Either I’d never remembered in the first place, or the memories hadn’t made it over when I flashed to this body. I hadn’t flirted with anyone, right? That didn’t seem like something I’d have done, but maybe I came off that way without realizing? I didn’t really understand the culture back then.

“You’re really going to have to narrow it down,” I said. He might be armed, but keeping the knife behind his back meant I probably had the upper hand if he went for it.

“Enochletes,” he said with slight smile. “I found my courage, thanks to you. I want you to have this.”

Now. I stood up smoothly as his hand came around his torso. It was a necklace. I hastily interrupted the movement that would have taken my sword through his neck, releasing the hilt of my sword like it was a hot potato.

“Oh,” I said. “It’s, um. Very pretty. Thank you?”

His eyes were shining as he offered it to me. I hastily avoided eye contact to avoid giving him the wrong impression, examining the necklace. Enny-boy had collected a bunch of sea shells, poked tiny holes in all of them, then run a length of twine through them all.

“Each one is from one of our adventures,” said Enochletes. “I would love to tell you their stories.”

“Hey, Idiot!” I heard Erid shouting from across the deck.

“Not now gotta go!” I rushed away from the young adult protagonist before he could latch onto me any more.

As a group, Erid's crew seemed torn between protecting her from me and getting out of my way. I ignored them, trying to find my balance as I walked among the Estheni as a Velean. I ended up focusing on the way my braided ponytail tugged on my hair, a decision to split the difference between my two adopted cultures.

Erid stood proudly on the deck, wrapped in her greatcoat, with my tricorn hat perched jauntily on her head. Her hair fell uncouthly down her back. I had to suppress a frown as I noticed that particular detail. Intelligent brown eyes darted to my weapon, my hands, and finally my face.

"So this is you," Erid said.

"Yup," I said, cocking a hip and resting on hand on my sword's pommel. "Why the hat?"

She ignored me. "Why'd they send you alone?"

"They're allergic to being stabbed."

Erid cracked a grin. "Most are. Let's talk terms."

"Got your map here," I said with a lateral jerk of my head. "Deal's pretty simple: I give you this, you head over to Lisaeli and call up the Trade Fleet, then we secure the oceans for Varas like Kives wants. You win, Varas wins, Kives wins. Lotta wins all around."

Erid narrowed her eyes. "And what do you win?"

I waved her skepticism away. "You can think of us like… mercenaries. We've been paid to make sure everything goes smoothly."

"Like you did on the Friend of Heaven?" Erid shot back, causing murmurs among our audience.

"That, uh," I said, "was a messy one. Not gonna lie. But this time we're on Kives's side, so things should be a lot less chaotic."

"Should be."

I shrugged. "At the end of the day, Kives roped us both into this. You know how she operates. And hey, maybe she set this all up so your refusal turns into a disaster that forces you to learn an important life lesson. Who can say?"

"I'm throwing you overboard."

I glanced at the railing ten feet away; between the limited space and the assortment of crew members in the immediate area, Erid could probably make good on that thread.

"If you do, I'll be back tomorrow," I said. "And the next day. This only ends one way, lady."

I pulled the waterproof tube off my back, offering it to her.

"Take the damn map," I said. "Personally, I don't want to see what kind of practical joke Kives comes up with if you drag your heels."

Erid snatched the tube out of my hand.

"Don't hold your breath," she said with a glower. "You were the joke."

Typical. "So…?"

"I'm not working with you," Erid said. "I'll do my duty, and if you happen to tag along, that's not my concern. Oh, spit it out, you look like a crab got your toes."

"I'm under orders to stay here," I said cautiously. "As a liaison."

"Fine," Erid snapped. "You done?"

"You still haven't told me why you're wearing my hat," I said. "Otherwise, that's all I got."

"Good." Erid pointed at some nearby crew members. "Chain her to an oar."

I gripped the hilt of my sword. "Oh, come on."

"Any of you marlins see another ship?" Erid called, drawing her sword. "No? Then she's a stowaway, ain't she?"

"I—" I started to protest, then gave up and drew mine. "Seriously, Erid, you couldn't beat me last time we fought."

"Who's beating anyone?" she cackled. "You owe me three hundred drobol. You want to stay on this ship? Earn your passage."

A voice spoke up beside me. "That's lenient for Captain Erid."

I whirled and noticed that kid from earlier had somehow crept up on me like he had some kind of death wish. I pulled back my strike moments before it disemboweled him. He jumped back in shock, but before I had a moment to reorient myself, a large hand gripped my shoulder.

"Lady Danou," the owner of that hand graveled from above me, "this way, please."

I stiffened, fear rising in my chest, but I squashed it down.

I am fire, I told myself.

The knot in my stomach tightened, but I re-imagined it as a kind of reactor, exploding in slow motion to give me power. Diamond clarity descended over the world. I met Erid's gaze and distantly noted the minute changes in her expression as she re-evaluated the situation.

"Get your hand off me before I break it," I heard myself say.

The large sailor didn't move at first, but then a nod from Erid had him backing away. I repaired my stance, noting any potential combatants in striking range.

"Let's get this clear," I said. "If you try to lock me up, I'll fucking kill you all. Erid. Is this actually about the money, or are you just throwing a tantrum?"

"No debtor of mine gives me orders," Erid said.

"Fine," I said, straightening up. "Fuck's sake, Erid, you didn't have to be so fucking petty about it. Just tell me to bring the fucking money next time so no one gets stabbed."

She snorted. "I did that last time. You threatened to stab me."

"That's—" I said, then stopped. "Look, things are different now, okay? I can get you your money. I can even do a shift on the oars if it makes you happy. Just, for the love of all that is holy, cooperate with me here. We both want the pirates gone."

"You and your pirates," Erid groaned. "Alright, Idiot, I'll take you up on that. Liaise away."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that," she nodded. "Once you do that shift on the oars. And if you threaten my crew again, I'll have you flogged, Calamity or not. Deal?"

I took a deep breath.

"We have an accord," I said.