I sat on the fantail of the Roc’s Eye, one of my father’s books on my lap. I had been keeping up on my reading of all sorts of topics, but right now I could only stare at the page, my mind elsewhere.

We were sailing under the waves, leaving Nilfheim. However, an abnormality aboard my ship was that I’d had to create a bubble of air for the hold where the sea couldn’t intrude. I’d discovered the capability back when I was first experimenting with my profession, but had little cause to use it as anything on board my claimed ship didn’t suffer water damage. The way I saw it, let the sea fill every crevice when I submerged, and I’d have the option of swimming instead of walking.

But now I had someone on board who could not breathe the sea water – someone not part of my claimed crew.

You do not have the capacity to enlist this individual.

It wasn’t his fault, but that message hadn’t made me feel any better about Drese Huut, master life mage or not. Still, he’d been willing to join my crew, so I couldn’t blame him for anything.

It just struck me wrong.

Gerald was the one who prompted me to put down the book I wasn’t reading and go talk with the madu. Stepping through the hatch from the sea to my dry hold was odd. Water streamed from my wet clothes but was wicked away on contact with the deck, my magic forcing the seawater out.

Drese Huut stood when I entered and inclined his head to me. Proper posture for the Madu looked a bit different than the humans or tarish, but it was plain to see Drese had good form. He didn’t move like someone who had military training, but was still incredibly disciplined. The way he kept his feet shoulder-width apart and his hands folded behind his back reminded me of Blake’s soldiers in formation.

Everything about Drese threw my mind back to the Wind Runner. I paused to re-center myself, this man didn’t have anything to do with that.

“Are you comfortable?”

“Yes.” He replied in his gravelly, echoing voice. “The experience of looking up at the sea from comfort is a novelty. I feel I must again apologize for the inconvenience my transport has put upon you.”

I waved his concerns away because he’d apologized already and it wasn’t a real inconvenience. Creating the space was a simple exercise, the only trouble came with periodically recirculating the air in here, but that was merely a logistical consideration.

“I must apologize as well. I’ve been rather tense, and it’s made me a poor host.”

“You are not asked to be my host, Captain. My service is offered freely, and how you dispense with me is your prerogative. That you had even wished for me to be a member of your crew is a compliment.”

I studied the man’s wide-eyed, green-scaled face, but he was 100% serious. “I want to talk about your background. You are very committed, very quickly. I came to regret my own choice of servitude, I wouldn’t want you to do the same.”

“You gave up a life of freedom for chains of service. I have not. Always my role has been to serve, and now my service has been placed in the hands of another.”

“Madu men have no say in your lives?”

“The image of men being held under the heels of women and the matriarchs is a misconception that finds willing listeners in more patriarchal societies. We are painted as a perversion of a natural order. In truth, our society encourages the genders to infringe on their peer’s roles during their formative years to challenge them to perform at a societal standard, and this sometimes ushers in talented individuals to roles of an opposite gender. The vast majority of our society, however, falls back into roles that their blood and talents are better suited for.”

I had an inkling that if I asked, he would categorically describe every facet of their culture in the same succinct tone. I never thought the other madu I’d met and fought were so clerical, so I was going to assume that was just his nature.

“That’s very interesting, so you were going to tell me why you’ve been in service your whole life?”

“I was identified at a very young age as having a talent for life magic,” he began. Thankfully, while recounting his own story he started to slowly pace and otherwise show more emotion. “I had been studying the path of a warrior, with forays into administration to challenge my sisters. I welcomed the life of a magician – or mage, as you humans say – but rebelled against my master. It was a youthful display of distemper that led to me being relocated to a reclusive order … and fated for more than the life of a simple healer.

“The order brought discipline into my life that I sorely needed, as well as perspective. Many in the world have opportunities cut off due to misfortune. My circumstances were quite the opposite: I had a gift, and so to do anything but cultivate it would be a waste. I was a slave to my magic, and my magic was best used to support others, so I was a slave to them too. Ah, pardon me …” he paused to gauge my reaction, though I thought I’d done rather well in not showing one. “I have shared this testimony many times, and had forgotten that you do not care for slavery as an institution, correct?”

“That is correct, though my record of improving the lives of slaves leaves something to be desired.”

“Nilfheim practices slavery, and has for our entire history. We would like to differentiate our practices from the methods you abhor among the southern nations, however.”

“I’ve heard the arguments and wouldn’t mind having a discussion about it, but that’s for later. I’m more interested in you specifically, right now.”

“Very well, I believe I have answered your question of how I view my service.”

I rubbed my eyes. So officious …

“Can you tell me about your capabilities as a life master?”

“Healing or otherwise?”

I paused. “You said you were trained as a healer?”

Drese did not break propriety for a moment, but I could practically hear his scoff. “I claimed to leave the path of a simple healer behind me. Mastery of life magic extends far beyond medical aptitude.”

“And … isn’t ‘charm’ a spell of life magic?”

“Indeed it is, though the oath of service I gave to you before boarding would be violated if I employed it on you, so you may rest assured I have not made any attempt.”

Stories always had a moment where everything went wrong because a character got charmed. One of the first stories I read was of Jordan Voyager getting charmed by sirens while hunting for the Eastern Passage, and it had horrified me as a boy. That is, it instilled a proper respect for magic that supplanted someone’s will.

“I’d like for you to catalogue all your spells for me.”

“That would be extensive. Please do not think I am objecting to the task, only warning you. Perhaps a summary of spell categories would suffice for now?”

“Alright, but I will give you the writing supplies for a list.”

“Of course. Broadly speaking there are healing, summoning, nature and combat. Healing deals with both the mending of the body as well as restoring or fortifying HP. Summoning concerns creatures, typically for magical aid. Nature deals with the growth and nurturing. Combat is the most varied category and has applications that range from the charm spell you mentioned to adding courage buffs, casting a bolt of life energy, detecting hostiles, etc. Life magic is also uniquely suited to combating undead.”

I shivered, remembering the horde of zombies that the Emerald had nearly taken the Death’s Consort with. It was good to know we had a specialist to counter that, as I didn’t think they’d given up on a track that had nearly succeeded.

“In the case of a battle, would you be able to assist and keep people from dying?”

“As I said before, my services are you’re to dispose of as you see fit.”

“Drese,” I said curtly. “I’ll admit to having a hard time with madu but I’m working on that, and I don’t want you to get killed in our first battle because I put you somewhere I shouldn’t have. So tell me, could you help during a battle? Or will you be a healer for after the fight?”

He regarded me in silence for several long moments. “My order was not a pacifist one. As an unruly child I wanted to be a warrior. As a disciplined adult I became one. I have no weapon proficiencies, but you will find me a capable skirmisher. That being said, most forces will try to congregate to take down a healer once identified.”

“I’ll have you work with Gnar. I’m sure he will have plenty of devious ideas to use you.”

“And when may I expect you to utilize my expertise?”

I knew exactly what he was referring to. “I look forward to unlocking life magic. I normally study in the evenings, might I suggest then?”

“Whenever you might arrange it. If I might suggest, both early mornings and evenings are good times to visualize life.”

I paused. “Very well, we will do that and any other opportunity that comes up throughout the day. A promise depends on me learning this; I won’t be a lazy student.”

“I look forward to it.”

That evening I forewent my normal reading time for an extended training session. Drese did not have the deeper mental magic, but he was familiar enough with it that we also trained in my mindscape where reality was more pliable.

Marcus Renshaw had judged that I had a real talent for air and water, boosted as they were by my perk Heart at Sea, with a slightly lesser talent for life and dark magic. Drese challenged that, claiming that all of those affinities were tied together in the sea, and my perk would benefit each. If my other affinities were lesser, it was because they were atrophied without use, not because of a lack of potential. I also had the benefit of having a deeper magic healing skill, which would help segue into a basic healing spell.

He was no less formal during training, but while normally his attitude was like a stonewood plank layered in fine cloth, while training that cloth was a thin veneer. He had been the subject a harsh training and self-disciple for years, and if I had been anything less than motivated to learn I’m sure our lessons would have been less pleasant.

Unlocking my life magic and learning the first spells of the field were not things to be done in a single night, whatever boosts and training aids I had. Drese did estimate that I would have it unlocked in a week tops, though, which surprised me. Apparently I also got a bonus to my learning chances due to my tutor being a life master. Marcus Renshaw had been a talented mage, but he’d been a dabbler in every magical field while Drese was a specialist in only one.

We’d only been sailing for two days when we sighted a flag on the horizon, flying the flag of Oorkom.

Gnar was going to have his first naval combat run.

I loved my little cutter. The Roc’s Eye was fast and maneuverable. What she did not have, to my dismay, was artillery. She did not have a single scorpion ballista installed, much less an onager. There were a few spots they could have been installed, so they’d presumably been stripped for other uses before the orcs mothballed her.

That meant my favorite tactic of shooting at ship’s underbellies from relative safety was a no-go. This was supposed to be training for Gnar anyway, though, so he’d have his opportunity. It would just be without his target being softened up first.

The enemy was a 3-masted frigate, threat level 3, and they were apparently sailing right along the boundary of Nilfheim’s territorial waters, either to pick a fight or keep an eye for madu expeditions. She wasn’t making the best speed, so it was easy to slip the Roc’s Eye below her and match her 3 knots.

“Ready?” Gnar asked his commandos, the squad under him who were attacking first. At their confirmation, his whole party started swimming for the surface above, followed shortly by another 10. That was 2/3 of our fighting force, not counting Drese or I.

The idea was that they would attack from the rear, throwing boarding hooks and clambering up the side before an alarm could be raised. They would establish themselves on the quarterdeck, then take the main deck if possible. I would give them three minutes to do their operation, then I would surface the Roc’s Eye off their starboard bow with the rest of our fighters. If the defenders had Gnar pressured on the quarterdeck, we’d be able to hit them from the other side.

I had constructs ready to man the Eye for me as I boarded, as well as a surplus who could begin taking control of the frigate. The constructs were not fighters – my skill didn’t even let me order them to punch someone – but since Gnar would have control of the ship’s steering, I saw no reason not to have them take control of the sails as well.

“That 3 minutes?” I asked Gerald and Jorgagu, who stood with me.

“Not even close,” Jorgagu said at the same time Gerald supplied “15 more seconds.”

Once I was in a fight, I could be cool. Before then, I guess I counted fast. As long as I appeared in control that was fine.

I called for the remaining troops to be ready and surfaced the Eye along the starboard bow as planned, fully expecting to hear shouts and clashing weapons as we breached the surface.

There was nothing. What’s more, Gnar strolled up to the gunwale and called to us “Come on over!”

“Didn’t they fight?” I asked.

He pointed to some bloody bodies and some prisoners. “Sure, but not well. I sent half my lads to secure their artillery before locking the rest of their crew away.”

I was a bit dumbfounded at the complete success of the surprise boarding, but they hadn’t been on alert without a single sail in sight. “Give them one opportunity to surrender, if they’re not fast enough about it root them out. I don’t want to give them too much time if there’s a communication mage on board.”

Gnar nodded and went below with all but a handful of warriors to maintain guard. That was something we’d talked about: bringing overwhelming numbers to bear wasn’t so important inside the skin of a ship where the quarters were confined, and I had firsthand testimony to the folly of not leaving guards on alert.

While Gnar’s battle prowess was impressive, his nautical knowledge needed work as he’d missed a hatch when his forces ‘locked in’ the crew. I decided to take advantage of it, after all I had never fought on board an enemy ship where I had backup!

In stealth, I dropped into the back ranks of a nervous crew who were all facing the other direction, where Gnar was now giving his demand to surrender. A few combatants, hastily donning armor, began hissing at each other arguing over what they should do.

“We’ve been caught on the back foot! We can’t win!”

“You’d just give up the ship? Without a fight, or a single casualty on their side? We’d be the disgrace of the navy! Stall for time, then we’ll fight them to a standstill as they come and negotiate from a place of power …”

“I wouldn’t try it,” I interrupted, causing heads to spin and curses to fly. The ones readying for battle froze.

I didn’t have a crossbow leveled or even a drawn weapon. That would have implied I was only ready to take out one person from the crowd. Instead, I stood tall in my Captain’s garb and commandeered their attention, daring them to consider me as anything but in complete control of the situation.

I was also ready to jump right back up through the hatch to the armed artillery deck above … I wasn’t a fan of bluffing without an ace in the hole.

The warriors didn’t call my bluff. Seeing they were already flanked and the crowd of seamen were already raising their hands, they dropped their weapons and called out their surrender.

Now what to do with a ship full of the enemy …

I looted what I wanted from the ship, then gave Gnar approval to do the same with his men. My personal acquisitions were some artillery pieces for the Eye, and some charts and missives about Oorkom’s fleet, with intelligence on the other fleet movements. Also of interest in the Captain’s quarters was a copy of Voice of the Crew: A Compendium of Letters from the Unfortunates Consigned to Torment Under Domenic Seaborn.

That was a heck of a title.

Gnar of course grabbed the traditional loot first, coin and alcohol, but was fair in their distribution. Jorgagu grabbed every weapon he could get his hands on to continue enchanting experiments. Gerald oversaw the collection of better supplies – the Eye would never run out of water and hardtack, but I’d need to invest XP for better rations and I preferred to steal food from enemies. They could have the hardtack.

Then came the question of what to do with the ship, which wasn’t really a question since we were right on the border of Nilfheim’s waters. We turned both ships west again. I didn’t need much help from the frigate’s crew for sailing since I had summoned constructs. I stayed aboard the frigate and left Travis in charge of the Eye which tickled him to no end, even if I was still sailing directly alongside him.

I asked Drese to demonstrate his charm ability, and he agreed. The Captain of the frigate had a resistance to the spell, but I saw a ruthless side of the madu come out and his powerful abilities would not be denied. The Captain then was extremely helpful and accommodating for the duration of the charm. With what I learned from him and from his papers, I had a good idea of what I could expect on our way to Antarus.

We spied a madu vessel 12 hours later and signaled them. They were leery of a trap until they could identify the ships under my control. Then they were only too willing to come and take the frigate off my hands, along with its crew.

I wasn’t a statesman, but I knew the value of a ship that could flip sides and having prisoners to exchange wasn’t bad either. The matriarchs were operating in good faith by sending Drese with me, and as I’d learned just what a master life mage was capable of I’d realized what an asset they had given up to buy my good favor.

I considered a frigate a decent return for them in half a week, and while I couldn’t send each ship I captured back to them I could remove them from the seas entirely.