I kept my hand firmly pressed over my nose as we walked through the town. The first thing that we did was find an inn to stay at while we were staying in Stormlight. Thanks to Sorian's money, we would be able to afford a room for a night or two while we figured out our next move.
We planned to visit this island as soon as possible, grab the map piece and come right back to the town so we could figure out the riddle in the comfort of an inn bedroom. Sorian strode a few steps ahead and pushed open the door to the inn, letting me walk in before him.
The innkeeper was a short surly man. He wore a true fisherman's getup and wore a sailor's cap to go along with it. He had a wiry silver beard that went all the way down to his knees and a long silver pipe stuck out of the corner of his mouth. I couldn't tell if he was bald or was hiding his hair in his cap.
"Good day to ye," He said, a large puff of smoke coming from his mouth. "What can I get for ye?"
"A room please," Sorian says, pulling out a few gold coins. "Preferably with two beds if you have it"
"For sure my man, but it's gonna cost ye a wee bit more than you've got in your hand"
"How much more?" Sorian inquired.
"Add two gold pieces to what you got there and you got yerself a deal," He says, taking another puff of his pipe.
"Seven pieces a night is a little steep, don't you think?" Sorian asks cooly.
The man shrugs his shoulders without care. "Regardless of if it is or not, that is the going rate here. If you want to stay here, you will pay for it. It's as simple as that"
I looked around the room noticing a bar in the other corner of the room. A few tables and chairs were scattered throughout the space giving me the impression that people would be sitting there having a drink. The only problem being; there was no one here. I know it is only midday, but I've seen the inns and taverns in Velglow and it doesn't matter what time it is, there is always someone drinking.
I thought it through quickly and decided that it was worth the risk, but I don't know if Sorian would agree.
"Listen here. I looked around your tavern here and I can see the dust on the chairs and tables. You don't get much business do you?" I ask. I lied about the dust, but it helped to get the point across. He immediately straightened up and choked on a puff of his pipe. "Here's the deal. You're gonna let us stay here for five pieces a night, and if your services are good, we'll tip you when we leave. How does that sound?"
Sorian looked at me with the most befuddled expression, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. The innkeeper removed his fisherman's cap and rubbed the beading sweat off of his forehead. Turns out he is totally bald on the top of his head, but he makes up for it with his long beard. "I don't know lass, I don't think I can go any lower than seven"
"You don't think? Or you won't?" I say, staring daggers at him. "If you don't want our business at all, just say it and we'll be on our way"
Sorian grabbed my sleeve and yanked, trying to tell me to shut up, but I was determined. I took the gold out of Sorian's hand and withdrew five pieces and lay them flat on the table.
He looked longingly at the money and then back at me. I felt bad, but this man needs to know that he should not mess with the great Alea Leowynn.
"You have yerself a deal I suppose," He says and he takes the gold off the counter.
He bent down and disappeared for a second before remerging with a silver key in his hand. He hands it to Sorian who takes it reluctantly. I thank him and push Sorian up the stairs and into the upstairs portion of the inn. The hallway only had three doors and the first two were very close together, but the third most door was on the other end and separated by the most space. Sorian seemed to follow my logic and walked to the end, sticking the key into the lock and twisting it.
He pushed the door open and two feather beds were the first thing I saw. I dropped the sleeping bag on my shoulder and ran over to the bed, promptly tucking myself in and shutting my eyes.
"Don't get too comfortable, we still have to go find a boat to take us to the island" Sorian says, gently dropping his bag and sitting down on the bed. He rubs his hand on the fir blanket and fluffs up the wool pillow. "On the other hand, maybe a short nap wouldn't hurt"
"I like the way you think," I say with a yawn. "An hour nap and I'll be good to go"
I listened for a response but was met with snoring. Loud snoring. Sorian doesn't realize it, but he snores very very loud. I put my pillow over my head and closed my eyes. It didn't take long for me to fall asleep, and before I had even realized I was asleep, I was awake again.
A loud thump woke me out of my sleep and I looked up to see what it was. Sorian lay sprawled on the ground, his one leg still on the bed, but most surprising was the fact that he was still asleep. His neck was bent weirdly against his sleeping bag, but he remained totally oblivious to the fact.
I tried to go back to sleep, but no success. I stealthily climbed out of bed and peeked out the window. The sun was beginning no longer in the middle of the sky and had already begun its descent. I sighed and strode over to Sorian's corpse.
I blew softly on his face to wake him up, but he remained unconscious. I began to question if he was actually dead, but he began to stir.
"Sorian," I said. Nothing. "Sori, time to get up, we have things to do"
"Neagh" He groaned. "A few more minutes"
"It's already been longer than an hour, cmon, we gotta go find a boat"
"Let's just do that tomorrow and sleep for the rest of the day" He mumbled.
"As much as I would like that, we both know that won't happen, now get up before I drag you outside"
No response from the corpse. I rolled my eyes and flicked my hand lazily. A wee gust of wind blew the blanket right off of him and he began to shiver. He begrudgingly got up and began rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Here let me help you with that," I say.
"No, wait hold on-" He started.
I blasted his face with a powerful burst of wind. His eyes opened with a start and I knew he was finally awake.
"Now let's go. The sooner we do this, the sooner we get to come back and sleep"
"Yes Ma'am"
We strode out of the room, careful to take any valuables with us and lock the door behind us. We walked down the stairs and into the tavern. The innkeeper was polishing glasses and visibly flinched when he saw me. I felt a pang of guilt, but I tried to put it out of my mind.
We stepped outside into the town and I took a deep breath of fresh air. We didn't know exactly where to go but agreed on the coast is our best bet. Even though Stormlight wasn't an official city, it was no small settlement. I was surprised by the number of people that lived here, and even more surprised by the number of large boats stationed at the docks. Stormlight was no Velglow, but I was pleasantly amazed.
Even though we walked down a hill to get to the town, the settlement was still on top of a cliff. We walked down a narrow staircase to the shore where the boats were docked. When we reached the base, I looked back up and took in the beauty. The tall cliff was made up of a white chalky stone accented by small veins of lustrous black rock.
"I can't believe how tall this cliff is," I mentioned to Sorian. "I didn't even know there was a cliff like this in Eshos
"This cliff runs along the whole western coast of Eshos," He said while rubbing his finger across the stone face. When he removed his hand, it was covered in a fine coating of a white powder. "Porlil is built in a small cove carved into the cliffside. That cove is probably the whole reason the city was made there"
We walked along the pale white sand. The beach at the base was narrow and left little room for walking, but the wooden pier was just ahead. We walked across the boardwalk and looked for a boat to take us. We asked several people, but no one could take us for at least a couple of days. We walked up to the last boat where a man sat tying a complex-looking knot.
"Hi there," Sorian said, waving. The man looked up at us, and then back at his knot. "We were wondering if we could hire your boat for a short trip"
He kept tying and untying his knot. "Where to?"
"A small island off the coast. I don't think it's named, but it is just off the coast to the west" I say. This time, he dropped his knot and looked up at us.
"Falmouth Island?" He asks.
The man looked tired as was evident by his dark purple eye bags. His hair was black and thin and stuck out in every direction.
"Yes?" Sorian says, unsure if that's the island we meant.
"I can do it, but it won't be cheap," He says, rubbing his eyes.
"We have gold. Just name a price and you've got a deal" Sorian replies.
"Two Hundred gold pieces and you have a deal"
Sorian inhaled sharply. "You have to be kidding. That's ridiculous!"
"I don't care what it is, but it is final. If you have the gold, I'll take you. If you don't have the gold, kindly get out of my face and we won't have a problem". His face was expressionless and stoic.
I pulled Sorian off to the side. "Why don't you just pay him?"
"For two reasons," He said, massaging his temples. "First, his price is twenty times the usual rate for a boat trip, and second, we don't have two hundred gold pieces"
"We don't? How much do we have?"
"Minus what we're going to spend for two nights at the inn, we have one-hundred and fifty gold total"
"Oh. Yeah, that's a problem then" I say.
"You think?" Sorian was clearly irritated. "Is there any way we can get money quickly?"
"We will have to get a job and try to work to get extra gold, but I can't tell how long that will take"
"Well, we're just gonna have to start looking then," I say.
"It won't be that easy Alea"
I put my finger under his chin and angled his head to look at me. "We both knew this wasn't going to be easy. We're just being faced with a new challenge that we have to overcome. Remember, we're not being timed. If it takes a few days, it takes a few days. Stay optimistic and this will all go smoother"
"I hope you're right," He says, blushing. "Let's go look for some work"
We walk back up the narrow stairs to the town and go from stall to stall asking if anyone wants any help. I'm sure this would've gone much easier had Sorian been allowed to tell people about his water-wielding, but we weren't sure of the town's stance on magic.
We had asked everyone in town for work, but everyone seemed to be without the need for assistance. Even I was beginning to lose hope when we were approached.
We sat on a bench just outside of the inn. Sorian sat there looking at the sky. I figured he was watching the sun slowly move closer and closer to the west in anticipation of nightfall.
"Afternoon youngsters," said a voice in front of us.
An elderly man stood before us. He was dressed up in expensive-looking brown pelts and he wore several pieces of gold and crystal-encrusted jewelry. If anyone in this town would pay us well, it certainly looked like it would be him.
"Hello," Sorian said gloomily.
"Doesn't sound like you're in good spirits" He said chuckling. "What's got two young people like yourselves in such sadness?"
"We're short on gold to rent a boat," I say. I tried to think of a way to tell him without revealing too many details. "You wouldn't happen to need any help that you're willing to pay for?"
"As a matter of fact, that's exactly what I'm here for," He says, chuckling again. His gold necklaces and bracelets chimed as they bounced off one another.
Sorian perked up at the sound of this. "Literally anything you need, we will do," He says with more enthusiasm. "Just name it"
The man smiled. He was balding and had very little hair still on the top of his head. His face was wrinkly and old, but his smile was a kind one and I couldn't help but trust him.
"Well, is scraping barnacles off the hull of a boat below you guys?"
"Of course not. When can we start?" I ask.
"I'm loving the gumption. Would it be too much to ask that you start now?
"Of course not. If it's ok, do you mind me asking how much we'll be paid?"
"Sorian!" I hissed. "That's not important right now! Just be glad we found some work"
"I love it!". The old man boomed with laughter, clapping a hand to his rather round belly. "No worries lass, I don't mind. I'm prepared to pay you upwards of fifty gold pieces granted you do a good job. How does that sound?"
I couldn't believe my ears. We were sought out by someone willing to pay us the exact amount of gold that we needed. Whatever God was watching over was really spoiling us right now.
"Deal," Sorian said, extending his arm to shake the man's hand.
The man graciously took it and beckoned us to follow him. I glanced back up at the sun and estimated that we had about five hours of sunlight left in the day. He leads us back down the stairs that I was beginning to resent and to a large ornate boat docked in the harbour.
We walked up a ramp to the deck of the boat. I can see why he was looking for help; the boat was filthy. The deck was coated in a fine layer of dirt and I could see the number of barnacles attached to the side and bottom of the boat.
He rubbed the back of his head nervously and laughed. "As you can see, I will need all the help I can get"
"Yeah, I can see that," Sorian says.
"Well, we don't have time to dawdle. Which one of you wants to sweep and who wants to mop? He asks. He walks over to the other end of the boat and disappears into a room. After a minute, he returns with a mop and broom.
I end up taking the broom and Sorian the mop. The man began fiddling with the ropes attached to the sail posts, tying new knots and untying old ones. For regular people, this probably would've taken all afternoon, but for a wind-wielder and a water-wielder, it was much easier. I was subtly blowing all the dust into piles and sweeping them up, whereas Sorian spread out the water and cleaned larger areas much quicker.
After only an hour, we had wiped the deck spotless and we returned to the man's side looking for more to do.
"Well, you two really are something aren't you?" He says guffawing again. "I'm not blind though". Sorian and I made eye contact and then back at him. "You are both wielders aren't you?"
I gulped. It was obvious that I was a wielder, me being a Chuvith and all, but I couldn't figure out how Sorian had been exposed.
"No point hiding it anymore. Yes, I'm a water-wielder and she is a wind-wielder" Sorian says, his face slightly pink. "How did you know?"
"Well she was obvious. But I've had water-wielding servants before, so I've come to recognize it. No matter, that just makes this next part easier". Sorian tilted his head in confusion, but I realized what he meant. "You, my friend can scrape off the barnacles. I'm sure your magic will speed it up"
Sorian didn't look pleased but didn't object. He led Sorian down the ramp and they disappeared. A few moments later the man came back up onto the deck and led me up to the steering deck. He handed me a bucket and a cloth and instructed me to wipe and clean all the nooks and crannies that mopping missed.
Another hour of silence had passed before I decided to break the silence. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you get such an expensive boat?"
"Well, it's not actually mine. I'm borrowing it from a family member so I have to take extra good care of it"
I realized I didn't even know his name, so I asked.
"My name is Vasilak of the Great House Antipas"
I dropped the bucket.
"Did I hear that right?" I thought to myself.
"I'm sorry, did you say Antipas?"
"Yes, I did? Does that surprise you?"
"Well, it's just- SORIAN!" I shouted.
I heard scrambling and a splash. A moment later, Sorian appeared on the deck with his clothes dripping wet.
He removed the water from his clothes. "What happened?"
"He" I point to Vasilak. "He just said his last name was Antipas"
Sorian looked mildly surprised at first but didn't seem as shocked as I would've thought. "You are?" He asks.
"Yes…"
"So am I, though only by the name"
Vasilak looked more surprised than Sorian did. "I'm sorry, I don't follow"
"My father told me that my ancestors used to be from the house of Antipas, but someone left and kept the name. I was told that I'm so far removed from the family that I only carry the name, but not the blood"
"Is that so? If you don't mind me asking, who is your father?" Vasilak inquired.
"His name was Ameren"
"Was?"
"Oh he's not dead, but I did leave him behind so he's basically dead to me," Sorian said coolly.
Sorian had yet to speak of his father since we left Velglow, but I wasn't surprised to hear him say something like that.
"I'm trying to think, but your father's name isn't ringing a bell. It really must've been a long time ago then, cause I'm no young chap" Vasilak said chuckling.
Sorian and I laughed politely, but I could tell that Sorian wasn't really interested in this conversation anymore. He excused himself and went back to removing the barnacles. I went back to scrubbing the wheel, but something was nagging at me.
"I'm sorry to keep prying, but I noticed you said that Antipas was a 'great house'. What does that mean?" I ask.
"My, have you never left Eshos?" Vasilak asked sarcastically. I shook my head. "Oh wow ok. Um, so the province of Pretion is home to six families who each own a portion of the land. These are Antipas, Silverwood, Flupoosh, Holnera, Stindrea, and Oorlo"
He continued. "Every ten years, the houses each submit a warrior to duel to the death for the right to rule the province. Seven years ago, the Great House Silverwood assumed control of the province, with King Azamin ruling right now, but Pretion is the only province that follows this system"
"I can't believe this. I knew that Pretion followed a clan or family-based system, but I would never have believed that my best friend would be descended from one of them" I say excitedly.
"Yeah, that must be a shock huh. I'm sure having come from Eshos and living here all your life, you know how this province is ruled and managed" Vasilak asks.
I nod. "Eshos is ruled by an independent ruler. The current Lord of Eshos is Lagos Motal, but it's common knowledge that his grip on the province is slipping. King Azamin has been covert- not so covertly as everyone knows- placing his men in the courts of the other Lord's and Lady's"
"Very good. You know your politics well" Vasilak says. "Yes, Azamin has been influencing the other provinces. I would like to say he hasn't been successful, but he has. Portius and Astien have been less affected by it; both of them are filled with very stubborn people, which benefits them in this case. It is a real shame that you people aren't able to express yourselves freely"
I straightened my back and felt a sense of pride. "So there are others who want us to make a difference," I think to myself.
I went back to scrubbing the wheel silently. Today was certainly an interesting day, but it seems to be taking a turn for the better. Vasilak scrubbed the windows next to the door until they shone. Not too long later, there was a loud clopping sound and Sorian appeared from the base of the ship. He was pale and his hands looked red and angry and I silently thanked Chuvun that I didn't scrape barnacles.
"I'm all done with the barnacles' sir," Sorian said standing straight up. "Is there anything else you'd like me to do?"
Vasilak looked toward me and back at Sorian. "It is late enough, I think you guys are good for today," He says. He disappeared into the room on the boat before reappearing with a small sack of gold. "Use this well you two, I don't want to see you back here tomorrow complaining that you spent it all"
Sorian took the bag out of his hand and proceeded to shake it. "Thank you, sir, we really appreciate this"
"Of course my boy, I needed help and so did you. I of course had to oblige you. You'll also find a little bit extra in there". Vasilak winked. "You know, an extended family gift"
Sorian grinned and thanked the man again. We walked off the ship and toward the stairs leading back up to the town. I looked out to the ocean and at the horizon where the last wisps of the sun dipped below the sea and out of sight. Nearly all the sunlight had gone by the time we reached the top of the stairs, but the town wasn't dark. I hadn't noticed them during the day, but there were many lamp posts dotted around in places of high people concentration. The whole town was bathed in an alluring layer of warm orange light and I truly fell in love with the beauty of this town. It was quaint and quiet, free from the troubles of city life. It was peaceful.
"Almost makes you want to stay forever huh?" Sorian said. "Stay here and ignore our problems. Life seems to be good here"
"Yeah, I see what you mean," I say. I did find myself longing to settle down here, leave our worries behind and relax. "But I am invested in seeing this through to the end, so let's do it"
"Whatever you say, boss"