I spent a long two days trying to forget the efficient methods the Empire used to keep its armies manned. In moments of idleness, I found my mind walking through the steps. Conquer a village, send the women to brothels, visit said brothels, send the resulting bastards to military camps to be raised by fanatical veterans. It was enough to make me reconsider knocking down the tower. As impotent a gesture it would be given the scope of the empire, it would be something. It would make me feel better, like punching a bully in the nose right before his friends jump you. At least there was plenty of work to distract myself with.

Pierre and I prepared what food we could. My mana channels ached like sore muscles every time I used them now but the experience and meat were both too sweet to pass up. I hunted the caves bare, adding plenty of rich, fatty eel meat to our stores while the chef cooked up a storm. It was easy enough to store the cooked food in my inventory. It was unlikely that we’d find a galley on the next ship to visit our quaint little island so we were cooking everything we could while we had the chance.

Bodrin took charge of our prisoners and his men bent to the task of breaking their wills with gusto. The fanatical guard “slipped” and broke a leg on the first day. We held an execution that night. Given the number of volunteers for executioner-duty, we ended up stoning him to death. Despite all his ranting about justice, he didn’t seem to appreciate it as much when he was on the receiving end of some old-testament style comeuppance.

Most of our people drilled in formations, taught how to handle our shields properly by one of our “reformed” guards, or practiced with slings. Our resident carpenter busied himself with converting timbers into smaller timbers and eventually putting them together into a growing stockpile of crude and heavy but sturdy shields. I joined in the shield drills from time to time more to show that we were in this together than in an effort to learn the skill. That didn’t stop me from picking it up though.

Congratulations! You have learned a new skill!

Shields - lv1

+2% strength of your shield arm +1% reaction speed when blocking ranged attacks

The crossbow bolts were too precious for general practice but a pair of former slaves spent their days familiarizing themselves with the bows. They went from taking nearly a minute to load a crossbow to less than fifteen seconds.

All in all, things were coming together nicely, so why was I so damned nervous all the time? The most dangerous part should be over but every day that passed without the arrival of an unfortunate merchant crew put me more on edge. I was helping Liam change the bandages on his last charge when the alarm was finally raised. The hollow banging of a club striking an empty barrel fell across the island and everyone stopped for a moment to look towards the tower before springing into action.

A formation of shield-bearers marched to the stockpile at a half-jog and hid their shields among the piles of stone and timber. The slingers joined our prisoners in hauling rocks to the tower. The procession was watched by more former slaves wearing stolen uniforms. They cracked their whips from time to time for good measure. No one on the ship would be able to tell that they were missing on purpose. By the time I mounted the steps to the tower everything looked like business as usual on the penal colony.

From the high vantage point, the ship was just peeking over the horizon. Our sentry did a good job and I told him as much. It would take another few hours for the ship to make landfall. That gave me plenty of time to observe it using Weather Eye. The ship was poorly kept. Patches riddled the sail. Ropes were heaped across the deck rather than coiled neatly. There were three men tending the sails while a fourth in an ostentatious wide-brimmed hat gesticulated from the wheel. At least eight ragged slaves huddled near the front of the ship. It was hard to get an accurate count from that distance. We should be able to simply overwhelm such a small crew. It would be cramped quarters but that wasn’t anything new for us.

I descended the tower again and made my way to the docks. Down on ground level, I could see the grey sail peeking over the horizon but the ship itself was hidden. I slipped into the water and found a comfortable enough spot under the docks. Clinging to one of the barnacle-encrusted pilings, wrapped up in seaweed collected for the purpose, I should be all but invisible. Our crossbowmen and loaders were similarly hidden. The main difference was that they were high and dry, using the natural rocky outcroppings of the island as a vantage point. Now all that was left was to wait, and try to ignore all the second-guessing. We were as ready as we could be.

The next few hours were the longest of my life. I watched the boat creep closer, knowing that if it turned around everyone on the island would be as good as dead. All I could do was watch our lifeline come closer and listen to the restless shuffling of the “guards” waiting on the dock to receive their latest shipment. My heart jumped into my throat when they maneuvered off course right before the end. I didn’t have anything to worry about, they were just coming in for a sloppy landing. I took a deep breath, sank under the surface, and pushed off of my piling. The ship slid up to the docks just as I got to its far side. I could hear the dull thuds of footfalls through the water as sailors rushed to secure their dock lines. I came up the other side and began slowly climbing the Jacobs Ladder, pausing every inch to let the water run off of me, preventing it from splashing unnaturally. By the time I peeked over the edge, the captain was arguing with a couple of “guards” and a group of “slaves”. Feet wide and hands behind his back, he was the very epitome of “an immovable object”.

“If your captain needs to inspect my ship he can tell me himself. I’ve got my contract in order and no part of it includes surprise inspections.”

The crew stood around their captain with harpoons in an intimidating show of force at the top of their gang-plank.

“You have something that belongs to us.” Bodrin explained coldly “We’ve got orders to get our new stock squared away. Do you intend to impede an imperial guard in his duties?” I had to give it to the captain. He didn’t waver under the threat.

“You can have your goods but it’s our job to deliver them. Keep to your island and keep off my ship. This is my kingdom and you don’t have leave to enter my borders.”

Bodrin placed a foot on the contested plank.

“The Emperor’s soldiers go where they please.” He pointed out in an unconcerned tone even as the sailors lowered their harpoons responding to his threat in kind.”

“Do they now?” asked the Captain. I only saw the hand sign behind his back because of my vantage point. I gave a signal of my own and a pair of crossbows released with loud Thwacks. One of the bolts buried itself in the deck but the other found a sailor’s hip. The force of the shot knocked him down and kept him there. His screams prompted the others into motion. Another bolt followed a few seconds later but the large target of grouped enemies had dispersed and the bolt thudded harmlessly into the deck. The Captain drew an impressive-looking cutlass with a flourish.

“We’re pushing off lads!”

The two remaining sailors jumped into action, cutting the dock lines before rushing to unfurl the mainsail. I chose that moment to climb into sight. Standing on the rail I asked:

“Leaving so soon?”

I’ll admit it. I enjoyed the look of surprise and fear when I leveled a wand at each of them. A thin tether of lighting found one who promptly fell to the ground, legs and arms twitching. The other dodged the blue egg of mana that erupted from my force-wand but it kept him away from the rigging long enough for me to bring my stunning wand to bear again. Some cast-off chains found new homes around their legs before they could recover and I threw their weapons overboard. I danced away as they regained control and grabbed at me. This time when I raised my wands they stopped, eying me warily. That gave me a chance to look around.

The boat was drifting away from the dock even as the shieldmen and slingers were swarming down the hill. The captain had kicked the gangplank free but Bodrin and his companions were using whips to keep him away from the makeshift grappling hooks the “slaves” were using to keep the boat close. The captain darted forward, cutting another rope free before he had to fall back avoiding the whips and another pair of crossbow bolts which slammed ineffectively into the deck. I aimed my stunning wand at the captain and dropped him, letting the men on the dock redouble their efforts in pulling the boat back. Even with the sails furled, the boat was subject to water currents which were steadily pushing it out to sea. Without the Captain harassing them, they began to win their all-important game of tug-of-war.

The rest of the slaves would be there to help in a moment. I was relieved. I should have stayed wary. The chained sailors lunged at me, tackling me to the ground even as a hatch opened up and another sailor with a neck as thick as a tree trunk poked his head out.

“What in nine hells are you lot playing at?” He roared before a truly awkward moment when all four of us just stared at each other. I squirmed, trying to break free as I used my stunning wand yet again. With all three of us in contact, the spell channeled through all of us and didn’t register as more than a nasty static shock. One of the sailors on my legs began climbing up my body while the other shouted at the head poking out of the deck.

“We’re under attack!”

The big guy climbed out of the hatch and was about to ruin my day when a crossbow bolt slammed into his chest. The giant sailor slumped, wheezed, and looked at the bloom of red soaking into his shirt in disbelief. He pulled the bolt out, fell over, and died.

“Noooo! You bloody pirates! I’ll kill you!” screamed one of the sailors as he clamped his hands around my neck. My eyes bulged, my legs thrashed, and after a few fruitless seconds of clawing at his iron grip, my panic pushed me to more extreme measures. Before I knew what I was doing, I had a dagger in my hand and was stabbing it into the man’s side again and again. He didn’t let go of my neck but the other sailor grabbed my arm and forced it to the deck before stomping on my hand, breaking two of my fingers and my grip at the same time. I croaked in pain, unable to scream while getting strangled. I was so focused on my struggle that it came as a complete surprise when a shield bearer bowled over my attackers at the head of a furious charge. When someone helped me sit up I saw that the fighting was over. The captain had a bolt in his leg but he still held his cutlass, warding off the shieldmen surrounding him. I used my stunning wand one last time and the shieldmen quickly tied up the captain.

The ship had cost two lives. Looking at the terrified slaves huddled near the bow of the ship, I told myself it was worth it. The cheering shield bearers and slingers seemed to think along those lines but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there must have been a better way. No matter how much I regretted the deaths, I couldn’t change them. Liam offered to splint my fingers but I had him see to the others’ injuries first. My broken fingers throbbed but I welcomed the pain. I deserved it for coming up with a plan that fell apart so quickly.

Bodrin found me after he got our people and supplies squared away. He extended a hand.

“We’re still alive. Might as well act like it.” He said. I heaved a sigh before taking his hand with my uninjured one.

“Might as well.”

He pulled me to my feet and we walked over to the surviving sailors. It would have been nice if Bodrin could take over. I really wasn’t cut out for this but as the one who started everything, I had a responsibility to finish it.

“Captain,” I began with a nod “My friends and I are in dire need of transportation. We don’t need you, but I don’t need any more blood on my hands if I can help it. I can’t unkill your men, but we don’t have to be enemies.”

The wily old Captain gave me a calculating look. Ten to one odds didn’t take very long to calculate.

“There’s no reason to make this personal I suppose.”

One of the sailors began to object but the Captain shouted him down.

“Shut yer trap! Don’t you see they could slit our throats as easy as pigs at market? Leave this to me.” The captain gave an obsequious smile, his salt and pepper beard parting to reveal a few wooden teeth.

“Beggin’ yer pardon for the interruption. My men aren’t used to violence. I can see that you are victims of circumstance. Can’t say I’d act any different if I found a slave collar around my neck. Thank you for your… restraint so far. The name’s Gromm, Captain Gromm. How might I be of service?”

I took his contrition with a grain of salt considering the slaves he was transporting. He caught me looking at his former cargo. Pierre was unshackling and feeding them while Liam tended their wounds.

“I’m a simple man of business.” He shrugged “I don’t make the goods, or the need for them, I just move them around a bit.”

“Uh-huh” I wasn’t impressed with his rationalization but at least he was opportunistic enough to recognize that cooperation was his best chance of survival. Light began to flow out of my chest and the sailors shrank back until they realized what I was doing. A magical contract formed in the air between us and I handed one to each of our prisoners.

The contracts were basically non-disclosure agreements. They outlined a deal where we get transport, they get a token fee and promise never to speak of us, specifically where we came from and where we went to. The contract wouldn’t keep them from breaking their word, but I would know immediately if they ever did, and they would owe a hefty fine which I could collect directly from their account at the merchants guild. It wouldn’t really matter if the empire found out that we fled to Navarone but a little added security wouldn’t hurt.

There was the option of killing them but leaving the crew mostly intact would help us run that much faster. Not to mention that I was still trying to be the good guy and good guys don’t kill just because it’s convenient. In the end, I let the two surviving guards stay behind under similar contracts to spread a story about a bloody slave revolt that was only resolved after most of the guards on the island died. That should cover our escape and give them a way to go back to supporting their families. Win win. Jordy and Cutter came with us on the ship to some grumbling but I still had enough pull to take charge. It was time we put this island behind us and never look back.