Sophia

Sophia slowly stirred awake. Everything hurt. From the itching needlelike pains in her toes to the destructive migraine erupting from her head. She slowly turned to see Talix Aldous sitting on a wood stool at the bedside.

“L . . . lightweight?” she groaned.

“Thank the merciful Trinity,” Talix barked. “I was beginning to wonder if you had left us, Captain.”

“How long . . . How long have I been . . .” Sophia coughed, as her throat was dry.

“Only a full day,” Talix said, serving Sophia some water from a glass beside her bed.

Sophia cleared her throat. “Where . . . where are we?”

“The barracks of the City Guard. You were terribly injured after the ship was disabled.”

“Disabled? What the Hells happened out there?”

“I was not there, ma’am. But from what I heard, the outlaws were able to summon lightning from the clear skies to strike down the navy. You failed to stop them and were tossed overboard after being struck. The nymph aboard the ship saved you.”

Sophia’s breathing intensified. “How many dead?”

“None to speak of. There was extensive damage to the ship and a few injured, including yourself, but luckily, the Gods saw fit to guard the lives of their loyal servants.”

After letting out a long breath, Sophia gasped, “You have no idea how much of a relief it is to hear that.”

Sophia was not quite as religious as Talix, but even she was offering prayers to the Gods and thanking Elbria, the goddess of good fortune. She thought that by taking on the outlaws alone, she would prevent collateral damage to the good people of Port Lood, but the opposite was true.

Talix hung his head in shame. “I am so sorry.” He took a knee before the bedside. “I failed you.”

“Failed me? If you had not shown up when you did, that cowardly face-changing rat would have killed me. If anyone should apologize, it is me. I’m the one who left you stranded in the middle of the wilderness.”

“You had every right to, Captain. I never should have risen my voice to my superior, regardless of your unusual demeanor. For that, I humbly beg for your mercy and will accept whatever punishment you deem necessary.”

He clearly misunderstood the entire reason Sophia deserted him in the first place, but he kneeled there wearing more shame than a married man in a brothel. Perhaps he had suffered enough already, and Sophia could bear to let it all go for the time being since he did defy all odds to save her life. “For Pholton’s sake, get up, lightweight.” She thumped Talix’s big forehead. “You’re making me feel bad.”

“But, Captain—”

“We’re even, Talix. Let’s just leave it in the past and focus on the task at hand. Did you happen to squash the face changer?”

“I soundly defeated him in combat, but he escaped me by jumping into the sea. His leg and arm were heavily wounded, so I’m not sure how far he was able to get before drowning.”

“Has his body washed up on shore?”

“Not yet . . . I can’t shake the feeling that he somehow survived.”

“If he truly is a transmutor, there is a chance he could transmute his own body into something that could survive beneath the sea. I believe there was an outlaw transmutor that was notorious for escaping the Sentinels this way in Solemn.”

Talix slammed his fist into the floor. “Damn my mercy! I should have skewered that boar when I had the chance!”

“Don’t criticize yourself for doing the just thing. You will get your chance to arrest him again.” She slapped her stomach. “But first, we need to find some food.”

Talix shot up. “You need to rest, Sophia. Please let me fetch you something.”

Sophia smiled. “Thanks for the concern, Talix, but I think I’ve laid in bed long enough for one day.”

“The dining hall is below. I’m sure someone has a stew brewing.”

Talix helped Sophia to her feet. She shuffled down the hall, grasping her wounded side until she reached the stairs of the tower that would take her to the dining hall below. There have never been stairs that appeared so terrifying. One step at a time, she descended with caution, taking special care not to shake up her aching body too much. She immediately regretted her decision to leave her bed, but her pride was not about to let her turn back.

The dining hall was already filled with the city guards who were off duty and the displaced navy sailors, all of whom took part in the outlaw hunt. Much of the hall went silent at the sight of the Sentinel. She could feel their eyes upon her as she shuffled across the room toward an empty table with Talix. The typical uproar of the dining hall became a den of whispers as each guard had something to gossip about. By this time, Sophia’s heightened senses returned to her, and she had no beer or rum to dull them with. The private conversations across the hall felt like they were being whispered in her ear.

“Typical of a wench. She charged the outlaw on the docks long before we ever had a chance to mobilize.”

“Impatient as me wife.”

“And look at what happened. All the outlaws got away, and a dock was completely destroyed in the process.”

“Wasn’t just a dock. Me cousin’s fishing boat was busted up when she was knocked into it. That was his prized possession!”

Sophia’s knuckles turned white. Every impulse tempted her to ring their bells, but she had neither the strength nor the health to do it.

In another part of the hall, Sophia could hear a different conversation about her failure.

“You know it’s that blasted salamandra pride that lost it for us. Those Avelornian wankers still think themselves to be the only competent peoples in the empire.”

“When are they going to learn that their time is over? Gods bless the Sovereign Ringavere for showin’ ’em what we humans can do.”

That was the last bloody straw. Sophia began to rise with her piercing gaze focused on the men at that table, but before she could stand, a servant girl of the church poured Sophia a cup of water and brought her a cut of bread. Remembering how famished she was, Sophia sat back down to eat.

“Don’t listen to them, Captain. If it were not for you, dozens would have died. That being said, I cannot help but wonder why you didn’t mobilize the guard when you reached the port. When I arrived that morning, they had no idea you were even here, and I had to inform them of the outlaws myself.”

Sophia took a long drink of water, wishing it had rum in it. She replied, “Talix, how much do you know about the Librarian?”

“Only what the church has reported. He is a dangerous outlaw and heretic that spreads unholy rhetoric to the people. I fail to see how that is relevant.”

“Of all the outlaw magicians I have hunted on behalf of the Sentinel Order, he is by far the most elusive and destructive. Several years ago, before he reached his current level of infamy, I was ordered to apprehend an outlaw that was said to potentially possess the gift of electrokinesis, lightning magic.” A flash of lightning shot through her memory. She squeezed her eyes shut and ducked down.

“Captain? What’s the matter?”

“Nothing . . . Just old wounds . . . Anyhow, typical Sentinel protocol is to hunt in groups of at least five trained Sentinels when the target’s power is unknown. If numbers were too few, the Sentinel has the authority to mobilize a militia or procure the help of the local knights or guards. Since I was the only Sentinel in the area at the time, I followed the latter protocol. I had amassed a hunting party of around two dozen armed men and cornered the Librarian in an alley. Before I could even turn the corner . . .” The sound of thunder roared in her ears. She held her composure against the odds. “He decimated the entire hunting party with a single spell. Half of them were killed instantly, while the other half writhed in agony. I can still remember the smell of burned flesh that permeated the air that day.”

Talix put a hand up in prayer and recited, “May Qitos provide them with mercy. I imagine such a sight would scar even the most hardened veterans.”

“It changed me, Aldous. I was responsible for those people. When they woke up that morning, they had no clue they would be conscripted to fight a merciless monster. Ever since then, I have done everything in my power to avoid putting anyone else in that situation again. I have trained long and hard to be strong enough to handle my duty alone so that I will no longer need to force the unprepared masses to fight for me.”

“That is why you were so adamant about sending me away. You didn’t trust that I had the strength to keep up with you,” Talix rescinded.

“Don’t take it personally, Talix. When you are alone as long as I have been, you almost begin to prefer it that way. You could have been Sovereign Ali-ra himself, and I still would have preferred to work alone. Asking for help has become nearly impossible for me because I don’t wish to ever face that level of guilt again. That is why I did not inform the guard upon my arrival.” Sophia searched around the hall for anything remotely alcoholic, to no avail.

“I think I am beginning to understand. After the devastation of the navy, I can see how it could be dangerous to have too many people involved in a hunt.”

“I’m glad you understand. Now you can see why it is better that I continue this hunt on my own.”

“Forgive me, Captain, but that is absolutely ludicrous.”

Sophia’s eyes widened. “Pardon?”

“You faced only two of the outlaws we are after, and they came so close to killing you, I could practically see your soul detaching itself from your body. Though I can understand your reasoning for not getting the guard involved in the hunt, I see no reason for you to hunt these men on your own. Had we stayed together and faced them as a group, I have no doubt they would be hanging in the courtyard by now instead of sailing to Boukua.”

The fact that he was right killed Sophia inside. Her heart twisted within her chest.

“All right, lightweight, I can see your point.” Sophia sighed. “I swear on my oath as a Sentinel that I will never desert you or ask you to leave my service again until we have permanently dispatched Don Traveler and the face changer, Shalnark.”

Talix raised a mug of water. “And I swear on my oath as a Holy Knight that the next time we see those rat bastards, we will soundly bring them to justice in the name of Pholton and the Holy Trinity above as the most fearsome alliance this empire has ever seen!”

Sophia laughed even though it hurt her ribs to do so. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen this side of you. Did the stick finally fall from your ass?”

Talix shook his head and smiled. “You shouldn’t say such things, Captain. It is unfit for a lady to speak like a common sailor.”

“Never mind . . .” Sophia sighed.

“All revelry aside, we still must deal with a serious issue. Who was the outlaw that cast the lightning spell? I don’t believe it could have been Don, for he never used such magic in the past. Shalnark also did not seem powerful at magic beyond his shape-changing.”

“Isn’t it obvious? It was clearly the Librarian. Bishop Gallen said it himself. The two outlaws, Don and Shalnark, are under the employ of Phillip the Librarian.”

“About that . . .” Talix grumbled, running his fingers through his thick brown hair. “While we are honest and open, I must admit something to you. Bishop Gallen lied to you about the Librarian’s involvement to convince you to hunt these outlaws for him. He knew it would spur you to follow his orders.”

Sophia started to chuckle and slowly built up into hysterical laughter filled with a mixture of annoyance and glee.

Talix reared back. “I swear I did not approve of this deception, Captain. I only went along with it to—”

“The irony here is simply baffling!” Sophia choked up as she continued to laugh.

“Irony? Please explain what is so funny.”

Sophia held up one finger. “All right, first of all. Fuck you for lying to me.” She lifted a second finger. “Secondly, the Librarian was certainly on that ship. I saw his cock-sucking face with my own eyes as he conjured the lightning strike. Despite your bishop’s blatant lie, my theory was proven to be correct! The Gods sure do enjoy their jokes . . .”

“Your theory? What are you talking about?”

“Back in Riverhill, Sentinel Supreme Auron received word that the Librarian was spotted heading north along the Golden Road. He mobilized the Sentinels, but I refused his call.”

“What would urge you to do such a thing?”

“My instincts told me that this was a ruse. I have been hunting the Librarian constantly for years now, and no one knows his habits better than me. He avoids patrols by never traveling along the Golden Road without some kind of plan. He is many things, but an idiot is not one of them. He does not make mistakes without intention. My gut told me he was heading west and was using some kind of decoy to fool Auron into sending the Sentinels north to clear his path. Gallen’s stupid plan to get me to play soldier ended up working perfectly in my favor.”

“So, you aren’t angry with me?”

Sophia thumped Talix in his large forehead once again. “If I’d found out about this any sooner, I would’ve broken both your big toes, and then left you alone in the woods. You better thank Elbria that the Librarian actually turned out to be involved with Don and Shalnark.”

Talix rubbed his bruised head. “I’ll consider myself blessed . . .”

“I wouldn’t do that just yet.” Sophia scratched her head. “We still have no means of catching them.”

“I would hazard a guess that they are still sailing to Galatea. Don seemed intent on attending the Festival of the Azure Moon. Do you think the Librarian has some dastardly plot taking place there?”

“If he does, I have no way of knowing what it may be, which terrifies me,” Sophia said as her mind wandered through all the terrible possibilities. There would be thousands of innocents attending the festival, along with hundreds of nobles from all over the empire. This could be a terrible tragedy in the making.

“I could try commissioning another navy ship,” Talix thought aloud.

“After the disaster that befell the last one, I doubt any navy captain would ever agree to ferry us. Even if we could use our stations to force them to, it could take weeks to shuffle through all the bureaucracy. The festival is only in a couple of weeks.”

“Are there any alternatives? There is absolutely no way we could make it Galatea by land in less than several months.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the entrance of Nadia. A few scratches dotted her face and slender arms, but she was no less perfect than before.

“Pardon my intrusion. I couldn’t help but overhear,” Nadia gently spoke. “Sentinel Sophia, it is good to see that you are still with us.”

Sophia blushed. “It’s going to take more than a bolt of lightning to kill me. I hear I have you to thank for saving me from a watery grave.” Sophia held Nadia’s hand and kissed it. “I owe you my life.”

Nadia chuckled. “You owe me nothing, Lady Sentinel. You may not have noticed, but I was right beneath the middle mast when the second lightning bolt struck the ship. If it were not for you and your magic shield, I would have been killed for sure.”

“I suppose we are even then,” Sophia said with a smirk.

“If my senses do not deceive me, I believe you and the good knight here need a seaworthy ship?”

Sophia raised an eyebrow. “It seems nymph senses rival the salamandra. Yes, we need a means of pursuing the outlaws that ransacked your captain’s ship. We believe they have some sort of nefarious plot in mind in the country of Galatea, and we need to catch them before they reach Boukua.”

“My mother may be able to help you.”

“Is your mother a merchant?” Talix asked.

“Not exactly,” Nadia replied. “She is the matriarch of my nymph clan, meaning she is the mother to all within it, including my seventeen sisters and me.”

Talix’s mouth dropped. “Forgive me, fair lady, but did you say seventeen?”

“I did, sir. That is actually not many for a nymph as old as my mother.”

“How will your mother be able to help us?” Talix asked as he pulled out a chair for Nadia to sit.

“My family owns a ship anchored outside the port. We often travel from port city to port city in search of employment on other ships as overboard fetchers and fisherwomen. Mother will leave a group of us behind for a while to earn some money and then return for us twice a year. It seems your arrival could not have been better timed.”

Sophia could not take her eyes off the intoxicating nymph. She loved to listen to her talk.

“Our destination is weeks away even by ship. Would your mother be willing to put aside a month out at sea for us?” Talix questioned.

“My mother would not hesitate to oblige. In gratitude for saving her daughter’s life, it would be her honor to aid you on your mission. Besides, we nymphs spend more of our lives in the water than we do above it. A month out at sea would not even be a chore for us.”

“If it is of no trouble to her, we shall graciously accept your offer. What do you think, Captain?”

Sophia was sitting back in her chair with her hand on her chin, admiring the perfect symmetry of Nadia’s face.

“Captain?” Talix called.

Sophia jumped. “Hmm? Oh! Yes, of course, we shall accept!”

“Splendid!” Nadia said, clasping her hands together. “I’ll deliver the news to my mother posthaste and arrange a meeting.” Nadia stood and gave a bow. “I look forward to sailing with you.”

“Likewise,” Sophia said with a wink. She peered over the table to get a good look at Nadia’s figure as she departed. Talix didn’t seem to notice.

“Seems we have a plan!” Talix celebrated.

“I was hoping we could stop the outlaws without having to sail the open sea.”

“Will you be well enough to sail, Captain?”

“I have just enough coin to have a potion of healing made that will fix me up just fine. It’ll cost a whole sovereign coin, but time is of the essence,” Sophia reassured. “And stop calling me captain. From this day on, we are nothing less than equals. Understood?”

“Understood, Ms. Ross,” Talix said with a salute.

“Eww. Calling me Ms. makes me sound like an old washerwoman.”

“Suck it up, wench. That’s as informal as it’s going to get.”

Sophia reared back and smiled.

“You’re all right, Aldous. There may just be hope for you yet.”