Sea of Death

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Thokk was as good as his word, and the Turnabout reached the northeastern shore of Trebaz Sinara a bit less than two days after they'd set out. The sun had edged up over the horizon, and the sky was a bright, clear blue with barely a cloud in sight. Despite the beauty of the dawning day, the island was as forbidding as legend painted it, surrounded by treacherous reefs and enclosed by high, sheer cliff walls. Off in the distance, a flock of winged creatures circled lazily above the island. Birds, perhaps, or something else. They were too far away to tell for certain.

Captain Onu stood at the ship's rail, gazing out upon the island, eyes shining as if its cliffs were made of gold instead of stone.

"Trebaz Sinara," he breathed. "How I've longed to look upon its fabled shores!"

Thokk stood at the railing next to his captain. The dwarf had summoned Diran, Ghaji, and the others to the deck when Trebaz Sinara had first come into view, and the companions stood at the railing alongside the Turnabout's master.

"If we don't drop anchor soon, we may well run aground on those shores," Thokk said.

"Hmm? Oh, yes, of course. Give the order if you would, Master Thokk."

The first mate signaled to a crewman and the ship's anchor was released.

"Those reefs are like a maze," Ghaji said. He turned to Tresslar. "Are you sure you remember the route through? It has been forty years since you were here last."

The artificer glared at the half-orc. "Assuming that the visions the demon revealed to Diran are true-and I haven't the faintest idea why the lich would want to go to the dragon's cave where I discovered the Amahau-I'll be able to get us there. My memory's as sharp as it ever was. I may be hazy on one or two minor details, I'll admit, but once we get started I'm sure it'll all come back to me."

Hinto groaned. "We'll be scuttled before we're halfway through!"

Tresslar started to protest, but Diran laid a gentle hand on the artificer's shoulder to silence him. "I've been giving the matter some thought, and we shouldn't have to rely solely on Tresslar's recall-as strong as it is, I'm sure. Assuming Nathifa and the others made it here before us-"

"Which they almost certainly did," Asenka put in.

"Then once we're on the island, Tresslar should be able to locate the dragonwand using another of his mystical devices. Isn't that right?"

The artificer nodded. "If the lich brought the Amahau onto the island with her."

"Would you leave such a valuable artifact behind on your ship?" Yvka asked.

"Good point," Tresslar said. "In that case, as long as we're within several miles of the Amahau, I'll be able to detect it." He reached around into his backpack and withdrew one of his homemade magical devices: a metal ring attached to a wooden handle. "I've modified my revealer to sense the unique energy signature of the Amahau." He gripped the tool by the handle and held it out in front of him. Several seconds passed, but nothing happened. Obviously disappointed, but trying to hide it, Tresslar returned the device to his backpack. "As I said, the range is somewhat limited. Nathifa and the others might be too far inland, and even if they aren't, those cliffs are likely interfering with any signals I might pick up. We'll need to get closer."

"But if we can't maneuver through those reefs…" Hinto said.

"That's where Solus comes in," Diran said, turning to the psiforged. "Can you use your psionic abilities to strengthen Tresslar's memory of the proper route through the reefs?"

"Yes," Solus said. "But I can do better than merely strengthen Tresslar's recollection. Once I locate the memory, I can reproduce it and transfer it into each of your minds. That way, we shall all know the route in case something should happen." No one said anything for a moment, and the psiforged added, "Trebaz Sinara is reputed to be a dangerous place, is it not? I wish no harm to Tresslar, but we should prepare for all possibilities."

Yvka nodded appreciatively. "Quite sensible."

"An unnecessary precaution," Tresslar said, "as I am quite capable of taking care of myself, but I see no harm in it. What do I need to do?"

"Just come off to the side with me for a few moments," Solus said. "There will be little discomfort, and the procedure won't take long. After we're done, if each of you would come over to me one by one, I'll implant the route into your minds."

Tresslar and Solus walked off several yards, and the psiforged told the artificer to close his eyes. The construct then gently placed his three-fingered stone hands on the sides of Tresslar's head, and his artificial eyes glowed bright green as the memory transference began.

"I'll have a longboat prepared for you," Thokk said, "along with enough food and water for several days. If you're on the island longer than that…" The dwarf trailed off, leaving the rest of the thought unspoken, though it was clear enough. If Diran and the others remained on Trebaz Sinara that long, they were probably dead.

Onu frowned. "You speak as if our friends are going to be making landfall on their own, but surely we're going with them!"

Thokk stared at the Turnabout's captain with shock, as if the man had suddenly sprouted a second head.

Onu made a grand gesture in the island's direction. "It's Trebaz Sinara, Thokk! According to legend, it holds the wealth of two thousand years of pirate raids! Gold! Dragonshards! Priceless relics! Treasures beyond imagining and number! You can't expect me to stay onboard, lean on the rail, and be content to just look at the island!"

Thokk's face reddened with frustration. "It's too dangerous, Captain! I don't care how much treasure may be waiting for us there, it won't do us any good if we're dead!"

For the first time since Diran and the others had met Onu, the captain's good humor deserted him and his expression clouded over with anger. "Bartalan Thokk-ever the hard-headed businessman without even the most minimal sense of adventure. Well, I am the captain of this ship, and I am going to accompany these good worthies on their journey… unless, of course, you have anything more to say about the matter, First Mate Thokk?"

The dwarf's jaw muscles tightened, and his hands clenched into white-knuckled fists.

"No… Captain!" With that, Thokk spun around and stalked off to see to the preparation of the longboat.

Onu turned to Diran and the others and gave them an apologetic smile. "Forgive me. Thokk is a good man, and I couldn't do without him, but sometimes he oversteps his bounds and needs his leash yanked. You understand." The captain then turned back to the railing and gazed across the water at the fabled island of Trebaz Sinara.

Diran and Ghaji exchanged glances. They understood, all right. They understood that there was far more going on between Onu and Thokk than first met the eye. The question was whether or not their problems were going to interfere with the mission to retrieve Tresslar's dragonwand, and whether that interference would prove a distraction at the wrong time, resulting in disaster for the landing party-or even death.

Ghaji was almost disappointed by how uneventful the passage through the twisting barrier maze of reef was. Thanks to Solus, they all knew the route, so there were no surprises there, and since the psiforged used his telekinetic abilities to move and steer the longboat, there was nothing for any of them to do but sit and enjoy the ride. Trebaz Sinara was reputed to be home to all manner of terrible monsters, and the companions kept close watch as they drew closer to the island, but no ravening creatures burst out of the sea to devour them. Ghaji wasn't foolish enough to believe that meant they were safe, though, and he continually scanned their surroundings for any sign of danger, elemental axe held at the ready.

Tresslar sat in the prow of the boat, revealer held out in front of him, slowly moving it back and forth through the air. Ghaji didn't know what the magical device would do once it detected the dragonwand-make some sort of sound, emit a burst of light-but it did nothing. Either it was failing to function properly, or the dragonwand was out of range, assuming it was even on the island at all.

Hinto sat next to Solus in the back of the longboat, the halfling occasionally reaching out to pat the psiforged's hand. The little pirate looked afraid, but he seemed to be handling it well enough. He'd come a long way since they'd found him shipwrecked in the Mire. No longer did he experience paralyzing bouts of panic. But then again, he'd never faced the sort of dangers that Trebaz Sinara held, and Ghaji wondered if the halfling would be able to manage his fear once they made landfall.

Asenka sat next to Diran in the middle of the longboat, close enough that their knees were touching. Despite the situation, she appeared happy and content, and though it might have seemed incongruous to some given what they would soon be facing, it didn't to Ghaji. He'd been a warrior all of his life, and he knew the importance of appreciating the good moments in life as they came, for those moments were often all too brief and the future uncertain. The orcs had a saying: Live today and let tomorrow take care of itself. It seemed Asenka had decided to do just that.

Ghaji and Yvka sat behind Diran and Asenka, the elf-woman's hand resting lightly on the half-orc's leg. Yvka leaned forward, eyes wide, taking everything in, working to memorize every detail so that she could make a full report to her "associates" in the Shadow Network. Ghaji knew she was also keeping a sharp eye out for anything-treasure, magical artifacts, rare plants or animals-that she might be able to claim and take back to her people. When he'd first met the elf-woman in Port Verge, when Diran and he had been working to unravel the mystery of the Black Fleet, he'd been instantly attracted to Yvka's free spirit and love of adventure. But in the months since then, he'd come to know another side of her. She could be calculating and opportunistic, qualities that admittedly served her well in her profession, but which made it difficult to remain emotionally close to her. At times like these, he couldn't help wondering if Yvka was with him because she truly cared about him or because she'd found their relationship advantageous to her career. Thanks to her association with Ghaji, she'd been able to turn over both Erdis Cai's stronghold of Grimwall and the psi-forge facility in Mount Luster to the Shadow Network. Though he knew he should work harder to trust her, he couldn't help wondering which Yvka loved more: him or the professional opportunities their relationship afforded her.

Leontis sat in the back of the boat in front of Solus and Hinto. Ghaji had never expected to encounter a Silver Flame priest as grim as Diran could sometimes be, but Leontis was that man. He held his longbow with an arrow nocked, prepared for whatever danger might threaten, but he stared straight ahead, eyes focused on a point far more distant than the island looming before them. Ghaji had seen similar looks in the eyes of warriors who had witnessed so much blood and cruelty on the battlefield that they no longer believed life was worth living and were merely marking time until Death finally came for them.

None of the companions, Ghaji included, felt comfortable around Leontis, but they accepted his presence because Diran vouched for him. They'd all tried speaking with the priest at one time or another during the voyage from Kolbyr, and though Leontis had responded to their overtures, he had always done so briefly and without enthusiasm, and before long even the ever-curious Hinto gave up.

Ghaji didn't like heading into an almost certainly dangerous situation with a man he didn't know well enough to trust. He hoped Diran knew what he was doing. So far, the priest had never steered Ghaji wrong, but Diran was only human, and could make a mistake as easily as any other man.

Onu and Thokk sat behind Tresslar. The captain continued to wear his garish regalia, despite the fact that his red longcoat made for a very effective target. Thokk had attempted to explain this to Onu before they'd lowered the longboat and departed the Turnabout, but the captain had refused to listen. Onu grinned like an excited child as the longboat slowly wound its way through the reef maze, bringing them ever closer to Trebaz Sinara. When Ghaji had first met Onu, he'd thought the man eccentric. Now he was beginning to wonder if the sea captain was in truth insane. Thokk certainly seemed to think so. The dwarf sat with his arms crossed, brow furrowed in a scowl, occasionally shooting dirty looks at Onu and grinding his teeth in frustration. Ghaji had no idea why the dwarf continued to serve as Onu's first mate if the man upset him so much. Perhaps in his own way, Thokk was just as mad as Onu.

Diran's face was impassive, only the slightest crinkling of his brow giving any indication that he was anything but relaxed and calm. But Ghaji knew his friend well, and he was certain Diran was running one scenario after another through his mind: debating strategies, calculating odds, anticipating problems, and exploring alternatives. Careful preparation is the assassin's greatest weapon, Diran had once told him. But Ghaji knew Diran wasn't making his plans dispassionately. He understood the risks they were all taking to recover Tresslar's dragonwand and prevent the terrible visions revealed by the Fury-demon from becoming reality. The priest wanted to make certain he had done everything within his power to ensure the safety of his companions, and so he continued to think, plan, and plot, and he would keep doing so until the time came for action. And when that time arrived, Diran would act swiftly, confidently, and-if the situation called for it-utterly without mercy.

As for Ghaji… well, he wasn't anticipating their landfall with the insane glee that Onu was, but he had to admit that he was curious to see if Trebaz Sinara lived up to its fearsome reputation. So far, it had been something of a letdown. He'd expected-

The twang of a bowstring vibrated through the air, and out of the corner of his eyes, Ghaji saw the shaft of an arrow blur by as it flew skyward. A second later, came the sound of the arrow striking something meaty with a dull thwok! followed by an ear-splitting screech of pain. Ghaji looked up in time to see a monstrous winged lizard that looked something like a wyvern with the head of a jungle cat come spiraling downward, Leontis's arrow buried in its heart. The creature was easily the size of the longboat, and when the thing struck the reef on their port side, the rock cracked and partially crumbled. The beast ended up laying half in, half out of the water, eyes wide and staring, forked tongue lolling out of the corner of its mouth.

Everyone in the longboat, including Onu and Thokk, turned to look at Leontis. The dour priest already had a second arrow nocked, its point trained on the cat-headed lizard, just in case the thing turned out not to be quite as dead as it appeared.

"My apologies if I startled you," Leontis said, never taking his gaze off the cat-head. "But the beast was flying a little too close to our vessel for my liking."

Ghaji noticed Diran staring intensely at Leontis, and for a moment, the half-orc couldn't figure out why. Then he realized: Leontis' beard had grown fuller, his eyebrows bushier, the hair on the back of hands more pronounced. A feral gleam had come into his eyes, and-though Ghaji thought this last might just be his imagination-Leontis's teeth seemed sharper.

After that everyone kept a closer watch, especially on the sky, as Solus continued using his mental powers to pilot the longboat through the reef-maze toward whatever dangers awaited them on Trebaz Sinara. Everyone except Ghaji, that is.

He watched Leontis.

Even with Solus's expert guidance, the longboat took several hours to maneuver through the reef-maze, and it was late afternoon by the time they reached a secluded, shadowy cove. Diran had hoped they might find the Zephyr anchored here waiting for them, but the cove was deserted. The lich had likely moored the elemental sloop elsewhere. They reached shore, disembarked, drew weapons, and scanned their surroundings, alert for the least sign of danger. While the others kept guard, Solus employed his telekinesis to pull the longboat onto the rocky beach, tie the craft down, and secure it with rope lashed to pitons.

"You keep that up, Solus, and we'll start getting fat from all the exercise we'll miss," Ghaji joked.

It was difficult to interpret warforged body language, but from the way Solus thrust his arms down stiffly at his sides-not to mention the way the psionic crystals embedded into his stonework began to flicker erratically-Diran guessed that the construct was upset.

"I did not mean to deprive you of the opportunity to maintain good health," Solus said. "As I am a construct, I have some difficult understanding the physiological needs of others."

Hinto glared at Ghaji. "Don't let the green-faced blowhard upset you, friend. He's just making a joke at your expense."

Solus looked at Ghaji for a moment, and Diran feared the psiforged might use his mental abilities to take some manner of revenge. But then a strange noise issued from the construct's throat, a combination coughing and choking sound.

"By the gods!" Onu said. "I do believe your stone and metal friend is attempting to laugh!"

Solus stopped. "That is the proper response to a joke, is it not?"

Diran smiled. "Yes, my friend. It is."

Solus nodded in satisfaction. "Good. But there is little ambient psionic energy in the area for me to strengthen my crystals. I will therefore need to be cautious in expending what energy remains to me." The psiforged looked at Ghaji. "I'm afraid you will get more opportunities for exercise, my friend."

The companions laughed, and Ghaji gave Solus a friendly slap on the back. Diran then turned to examine their surroundings. Craggy black stone covered the shoreline, giving way to dirty-white sand a dozen yards inland, and beyond that a thick forest. The trees were a strange mixture. Some, such as fir, ash, oak, evergreen, and elm, were common to the Principalities and their presence on the island came as no surprise. But other trees-palm trees, orange blossoms, and cyprus-rightfully belonged to far warmer climates. And even though winter was drawing closer by the day, the warmland trees looked as robust and healthy as their Lhazaar counterparts.

"Is this how you remember the area?" Diran asked Tresslar.

The artificer nodded. "It was a patchwork conglomeration of different landscapes and flora, just like this. While I don't recall this cove specifically, since Solus ransacked my memory for the directions to get here, I'm confident this is the location where we made landfall. I remember Erdis leading us into a forest." Tresslar pointed toward the treeline. "That one, I suppose."

"That is what your memories showed me," Solus said. "But time and emotion can color one's recollections, rearranging them, blocking unpleasant details, or re-interpreting them so they seem better or worse. I did my best to sort out truth from misremembered half-truths and outright distortions, but…" The psiforged trailed off with a very humanlike shrug.

"We understand," Diran said. "We shall go cautiously and assume nothing." The priest took a quick inventory of the group. All wore backpacks containing food and water, among other supplies, and all were armed with their chosen weapons. Diran held a pair of daggers-one steel, one silver-and Ghaji gripped his elemental axe. Asenka had drawn her longsword, and Hinto his long knife. Yvka held no obvious weapons, but Diran knew the pouch hanging from her belt contained various magical items constructed by the devious artificers of the Shadow Network. He'd seen the elf-woman use her devices to devastating effect in the past, and he had no doubt their magic would serve her well again this day, if required. Solus needed no physical weapon, just the power of his mind. Thokk held a mace whose handle was pitted with small concave spaces, as if it had once been encrusted with jewels, The weapon might not be a thing of beauty, but it would still perform its function well enough when wielded with dwarven muscle. Onu's weapon was a light rapier that he kept swishing back and forth through the air as if it were a toy. The captain of the Turnabout hadn't removed the tiny metal ball on the rapier's tip used to prevent accidental injury when simply sparring with an opponent. Diran was certain everyone else had noticed as well, but no one had said anything, perhaps having come to the same conclusion as Diran: given Onu's overly enthusiastic personality, everyone might be safer if he left the little metal ball where it was.

Leontis held his longbow with an arrow nocked and ready. Diran's old friend appeared calm enough, but there was a gleam of excitement in his eyes as if he were eager to head off into the forest to begin exploring-or perhaps hunting. Diran hadn't failed to notice the minor transformation Leontis had gone through after slaying the aerial monster earlier-the increased length of his beard and hair, as well as the sharpening of his teeth. Diran had hoped that those feral touches might recede as time passed, but they had remained. It was as if Leontis had held the bestial side of himself in check as long as he could, but the wolf was beginning to fight its way out. Back in the inner courtyard of Kolbyr's palace, Diran had been fully prepared to honor Leontis's request and release him from his curse, much as it would have pained the priest to do so. But he'd remembered the visions the demon had shown to him, especially the image of a wolf's head, its eyes shining with human intelligence. Diran had stayed his hand then, because he realized that Leontis had a role to play in the events to come-though for good or ill, he couldn't say. Now, seeing the first signs of lycanthropic change in his old friend, Diran was beginning to question his decision. Had he once again allowed emotion to cloud his judgment, just as he had with Makala? Would more weight be added to the burden of guilt Diran carried on his shoulders. And if so, how would he ever be able to bear it?

Tresslar held his revealer out before him and slowly moved it from left to right then back again. When he was finished, he lowered the device to his side, a disappointed look on his face.

"No sign of the Amahau yet. Perhaps once we get moving…"

Diran nodded. "Then let's be on our way. We have precious little daylight remaining to us, and we shouldn't waste it."

The companions set off toward the forest in single file. Ghaji took the lead, with Diran right behind him. Asenka came next, with Tresslar after that, periodically holding up the revealer to check for the presence of the dragonwand. Thokk and Onu were next in line, the dwarf muttering to himself as walked, the garrulous captain commenting on anything and everything he saw that took his fancy. Leontis followed those two, and though Diran would've preferred to keep his fellow priest closer to him, and had suggested as much, Leontis insisted it made more sense for him to take a position in the middle of the line, where he would be free to loose his arrows in any direction an attack might come from. Though Diran agreed with Leontis's reasoning, he didn't like it. Yvka and Hinto came after Leontis, and Solus brought up the rear, using his psychic powers to scan the surrounding area for threats.

During the journey from Kolbyr, Tresslar had told them all about his previous voyage to Trebaz Sinara in the company of Erdis Cai. So Diran knew what to expect from this portion of the island, but experiencing it for himself was a different matter. As they entered the forest and began making their way northwest between mismatched varieties of trees, Diran was struck by how still and stale the air was, and after only a few minutes, it began to feel as if some unseen force was weighing them down, its pressure increasing with each step they took. Though it was yet daylight, the treecover blocked out the sun, and the forest gloom only added to the oppressive atmosphere. The forest should've been home to all manner of insects, birds, and animals, but the only sounds they heard were their own footfalls and breathing-well, that along with Onu's incessant chattering. Thokk had managed, with no little effort, to get the man to keep his voice to a near-whisper, but no amount of urging could get Onu to be silent. If Diran hadn't already known about the eerie silence of the forest from Tresslar's account, he would've thought Onu had scared off all the life in the area.

Solus's psionic powers confirmed the absence of anything living nearby except foliage.

"I cannot sense even a trace of thought beyond our own," the psiforged said. "It is as if the entire island is devoid of life."

Since they knew that was not the case, Solus's words were far from reassuring. Indeed, they made things worse, for something had to be blocking the construct's psychic abilities. But what?

The quiescence soon became maddening. At first, it seemed preferable to hearing the roaring of fierce beasts close by or the rustling of underbrush as something large and hungry stalked them. But the silence grated on the nerves and eroded the spirit, preying on the mind, if not the flesh. As Diran and the others continued trudging through the forest, the minutes stacking up and becoming hours, the companions became increasingly on edge, and even Onu finally fell quiet. The forest gloom deepened as night came to Trebaz Sinara, and though they seemed to be completely alone in the forest, Diran deemed it was too risky to use any illumination, and so the humans in the party had to rely on the night vision of the nonhuman members to guide them.

Since making landfall, they'd been traveling without rest to take advantage of the daylight left to them, but now that night had fallen, Diran thought it high time they took a break. But just as he was about to broach the subject, light flashed in the darkness behind him, and the priest whirled about, prepared to hurl his daggers.

Diran saw Tresslar's grinning face lit by a yellow glow emanating from his revealer.

"I've detected the Amahau!" Tresslar said, his voice rising in excitement. "That means we're close!"

Diran smiled, all thought of rest forgotten. "How close?"

"No more than a few miles."

"Let's keep moving," Diran said. "We-"

Diran's words were cut off as the darkness surrounding them came alive.