RavensDagger

  Chapter Four - A Demonstration

  50th Day of Spring - Year 1758 of the Goldehe Sapphire O

  "Land ahoy! Land ahoy!"

  Magus Maldrak gnced up from the tome he was reading. The sky outside of the porthole in his office was still the pale e of early m, having only just risen some st minutes prior.

  Standing, the Magus pressed a hand to the small of his back. He wasn't an old ma, but sometimes his knees and lower back reminded him that years spent in secluded study weren't kind to one's health.

  Pushing past the mild disfort, he plucked his robes from the back of a chair and threw them on, then ehat they fit correctly, with his shield of station embzoned over his right shoulder and his inner pockets filled with nasty presents for anyone who sought to push him.

  Leaving the office, he made his way through the narrow corridors of the Geidings and onto the main deck of the ship. The sailors in his employ were busily preparing for aual ndfall aiced a few hanging from the ropes above, telescopes out to s the horizon for trouble.

  Walking to the port side of the ship, he stood by the railing for several long minutes before finally making out the faint brown of distant nd. It could have been a mirage still, but he trusted the man in the crow's above.

  "Magus," Jorvin said as he came up to Maldrak's side.

  "Jorvin," Maldrak replied. He turned and o the steely-eyed young mao the mage-knight. "Captaihorn, a good m to you."

  "A good morn indeed, sir Magus," the captain replied with a nod. "It seems as though we've made it to the mainnd. If only this trip were like our previous."

  Maldrak let out a long sigh. "Indeed. If only. I noticed few ships along our path, but I'll admit that I'm no eagle-eyed sailor."

  "Ye eyes didn't deceive you, sir," the captain said. "We crossed a mertmaerday afternoon, and a caravel in the same evening. I didn't think to inform you. Five me if I erred."

  "No, I didn't ask for suformation. Thank you for sating my curiosity. Would you say that traffic is signifitly lighter?"

  "Signifitly so, sir," the captain replied. "I recall seeiire flotils heading to and from the mainnd leaden with riches. And this close to nd? We ought to have seen at least orol ship from the Draya Calyrex navy. Anti-piracy patrols and shows of force were on enough. But we're within sight of the mainnd and there has yet to be anything. Not even a fishing sloop."

  "Then the rumours are true, and I wasn't misled here," Maldrak said.

  "Is that good?" Jorvin asked.

  Maldrak sidered it, then shook his head. "I'd rather I had beeo all this time and discover that someone pulled the wool over my eyes, that some great treachery was afoot, than discover that this truth is true. I... have many ties to this nd. And now I 't help but imagihem all lost."

  Jorvin nodded. He wasn't a man of Draya Calyrex, but he could certainly sympathize with the loss of so many lives.

  "So, now what? Still pnning oing those puppets of yours step foot on the mainnd first?" Jorvin asked.

  "I have several brave men who might volunteer for such a task," the captain said.

  "The puppets first. They will be resistant to any blight and return samples for the arists and alchemists we have onboard to study. If you judge them capable enough, Sir Jorvin?"

  The mage-knight rubbed at his . "Barely. They certainly walk about and pluck flowers, but if it es to bat, then they will lose to a farmhand with a pitchfork. I would put even odds on a particurly aggressive crab beating them one on one."

  "Hah," Maldrak said. "The's ge that, shall we. Captain, when will we be nearing Shorefarm?"

  "By nightfall, Magus," the captain replied. "At the earliest. Without anyone operating the lighthouses along the shore, it may be until m. The Geidings isn't a ship designed for areas without a deep shore."

  "I see," Maldrak replied. "Let's make good time if we , and if not, m it will be. The puppets ot see in the dark in any case. Jorvin, you fetch the three of them and bring them to the poop dee? And if you see Artisan Artificer Magus Woodbone, you inform him that I'd like his attention in the same pce?"

  "Aye, do," Jorvin replied. He o the captain before heading off.

  "Captain, a minor favour, if you would," Maldrak said.

  "I'm all yours, sir," the captain replied.

  "If any of your men are particurly good at fishing, could you allow them to try to catething local for me? I need a fish of sess. Preferably a few, within the hour. Let the men know that a rge catch means a copper or two."

  The captain chuckled. "Then we'll have a petition. I imagihat the fish won't be edible."

  "No. Best to avoid such risks for now. Let the men know to avoid drinking any water as well. The risks of ination are low, but not ent. Not that I expect them to swallow much sea water in any case."

  "They aren't quite so foolish as that, no," the captain replied.

  Maldrak patted the man on the shoulder. "Keep an eye on the horizon for me, captain. And good work so far. I'll see to my business for now."

  "Aye, Sir Magus."

  With that dohe Magus gnced one final time out across the o. The tiny sliver of nd in the far distance might have grown a little, though it was hard to tell. They were sailing almost parallel to it, so it would take some time for the mainnd in its eo bee visible.

  In the meantime, he walked up to the rear of the ship and found a seat along the ship's railing. The temperature was a little chilly, but it was still early in spring. The Magus tugged his robes closer and sidered the worth of applying magic to the task of keeping the chill at bay.

  Eventually, he created a small circle in the air with a twirl of a gloved hand and his magic filled it with a few simple are symbols. These glowed brighter for a moment as they activated, and the poop deck was suddenly encapsuted in a thin bubble that was only strong enough to prevent the harsher wind from entering.

  Jorvin soon appeared, walking up to the deck with the three puppets cmbering along behind him. "Found these three waiting in the mess," he said. "I think someone fot them there. Too bad. I might have had them walk the decks all night to train their mobility otherwise."

  "They have no muscles, you know," Maldrak replied.

  "Ah, but they do need practioheless," was the mage-knight's reply. "I saw the artisan. He's on his way, though you know as well as I how he is about punctuality."

  "That's well and good," Maldrak replied before he eyed the puppets. "Perhaps a little more training is in order in the meantime?"

  "Hmph, I suppose so. e on, form a line you three. We'll be practig with these today." The man pulled out a few wooden sticks from the crook of his arm. They had ropes bound around them and a small sembnce of a guard on one end around a simple hahey were a little short to be sidered swords, but too long to be daggers.

  "You're training them in the short sword?" Maldrak asked.

  "It's a better alternative than anything heavier and more cumbersome," Jorvin replied. "I'd rather train them in the spear and shield, if time is so limited, but that e ter. I'm assuming we'll have some time on dry nd to train?"

  "Some, luck willing," Maldrak said. "The short sword will do for now. I believe we have some to spare in our armoury in any case. We certainly have some daggers."

  "Figured as much," Jorvin said.

  He gave each of the puppets a sword and then had them shift from a standing position into a fighter's sta wasn't something Maldrak himself was well familiar with, so he watched with some passing curiosity as Jorvin had them move through a few set forms. The man had the sembnce of someoh no patience, but the Magus suspected that to be false.

  Jorvin would demonstrate, then have them repeat the gestures and movements he did, often expining why the motions were important. There was much talk about tres of gravity and footwork, as well as striking edges and the like.

  After nearly half an hour had passed, the man shifted to sparring with the puppets o a time.

  It was around then that the captain arrived followed by a few men carrying three rather rge fish. Living ones, bound by ropes. Maldrak indicated for them to pce them off to the side, and handed out a few copper s to the captain, to be given to the sailors.

  Sharih ofteo some amount of easy loyalty with the simpler sort of man, he found, and this was as good a time as any to be generous.

  It was then that the Artisan Artificer arrived, apanied by a younger man.

  "Looks like it's time to test some things," Maldrak said before he focused upon the puppets. "e now, stand to attention, we're about to show you something rather iing."

  ***